All The Lonely People
by MeandMyPotato
Summary: Two paths. Two destinies. And she must choose one and only one. To one, it may seem like an easy choice but to Serena, it would mean betrayal on both ends. She has a heavy burden to bare. One that is weighing her down like an anchor and this fiery man helped her carry it. This is a story of regret, choices, love and death.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! I decided to finally write a Lysandre/Serena fanfic and it's rated M too. I've been reading fanfic since 2008 but it's only now that I've decided to actually do it. I'm going to change some elements of the game here and there so I hope you guys don't mind. The prologue will be kind of short but I promise the next chapters will be longer.**

**Warning: I love to swear so expect a lot of swearing. Lemons will come don't worry.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. **

* * *

_"Someone told me there's a girl out there with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair. _  
_Took my chances on a big jet plane, never let them tell you that they're all the same. _  
_The sea was red and the sky was grey, wondered how tomorrow could ever follow today. _  
_The mountains and the canyons started to tremble and shake _  
_as the children of the sun began to awake" _

_Going to California - Led Zeppelin_

* * *

**Prologue**

Calem and Shauna sprinted down the hallway searching for their friend. They turned a corner and ran into two Team Flare grunts guarding a door and backed up as quickly as they could, trying to stay hidden from the two. Thankfully, the pair was too engrossed in their own conversation to notice the teens eavesdropping.

"Hey, did you hear?" asked the female grunt.

The male grunt leaned against the door, "Hear what?"

"Lysandre's delaying our plans. Something about a girl or whatever," She waved her hand around dismissively, "I mean, I respect him a lot and all but come on, he's put a halt into our operations just for a _girl_?"

"Oh please," The male grunt scoffed, "You're just jealous because she has a better chance at Lysandre than you do."

The female grunt turned her head towards her ally slowly, "_What did you say_?"

"You heard me. Okay, when was the last time you got laid?"

"I am not talking to you about my sex life!" After a few short seconds, the female grunt sighed and gave up, ". . . six months ago."

The male grunt cackled, "Six months?! Oh boy, you are wound up so tight. You need a stress reliever," He walked toward his companion and started to massage her shoulders, "Is this better?"

"Harder," The female grunt replied.

Calem and Shauna looked at each other before deciding that now would be the time to interrupt before things escalate between the two grunts.

"OI! HELLO!" Calem shouted, immediately the two grunts stopped what they were doing and jumped away from each other.

"Son of a bitch! Can't I ever get a break?" The female grunt raised her hands in the air from frustration.

Calem stood unnerved by the whole scene, "You will, once you tell us where Serena is!"

"The girl? Why she's in this room right here, kid," The male grunt responded, arrogance laced in his voice, "You're going to have to go through us before you can get to our fearless leader!"

Shauna grabbed Braixen's pokeball and in a display of courage replied with, "Then so be it."

* * *

"Water Gun!" Serena shouted desperately at a weak and battered Frogadier. It was about to collapse but she had to risk it. She just had to.

"Dodge it!"

Frogadier swayed back and forth, clearly hurting from the powerful attack that it had just made. There was no hope for her team now. This was it. Lysandre was going to win.

"Mienshao, use your Acrobatics!"

The pokemon nodded and ran towards Frogadier hitting it again and again. Mienshao jumped back to the tall red-haired man and stood tall though it too had sustained considerable damage.

Frogadier fell to the ground and Serena summoned it back to its pokeball, "You did good, boy. You did good. I'm sorry."

Lysandre recalled Mienshao and walked over to the young trainer, "I do not take pride in doing this but I must do this for the world. To keep it beautiful. This won't be the last time you'll see me, Serena. I'll find you again soon enough."

And with that, Lysandre walked over to the elevator and ascended to the surface, "Farewell, my dear. Until we meet again."

* * *

Calem headed into the room first, leaving Shauna to chase after him again. The pair defeated the grunts guarding the door only to find Serena sitting on the floor with an eerie look on her face.

"Serena!" Shauna ran towards Serena bending down towards her.

Serena continued to stare at the floor, "S-Shauna . . . I-I wasn't . . . I didn't . . ."

She reached out and grabbed Calem's arm, "I couldn't do it . . . I wasn't strong enough . . . I'm . . . sorry . . ." her voice shook and quivered.

The dark haired boy went down on his knees and pulled the brunette close to him, "It's all right. It's going to be all right. Everything's going to be okay, Serena. I'm . . . We're here now."

Serena looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears, "T-Thank you, Calem. Thank you."

* * *

**And there we go, prologue over! I hope it is to your liking. **

**Also, I hope this prologue isn't too short. **

**Reviews are always always welcome. Please tell me how I can improve upon this story. **

**I'll try to update as consistently as I can.**

**'Til the next chapter then!**


	2. The Rain Song

**Author's Note: So yeah, hello everyone who decided to read this. Welcome to Chapter 1, basically, of All The Lonely People. As I said, after the prologue, chapters will become longer and here I am fulfilling my promise. Thank you to Palkiajack for reviewing and mylifesahell for the favourite. Anyway, Allons-y!**

* * *

_"This is the springtime of my loving - the second season I am to know _  
_You are the sunlight in my growing - so little warmth I've felt before. _  
_It isn't hard to feel me glowing - I watched the fire that grew so low."_

_The Rain Song - Led Zeppelin_

* * *

**The Rain Song**

_3 Weeks Later_

Serena sat on one of the padded chairs in Professor Sycamore's office, fists clenched tightly on her knees. She couldn't stop Lysandre. She had been weak and because of that, she had let Lysandre walk away. Serena suddenly had become obsessed with the need to become stronger. To live up to people's expectations and not disappoint them. So she trained everyday, pushing her pokemon to their limits. Most of her team had evolved now, Frogadier became Greninja, Wartortle became Blastoise, and Combusken became Blaziken. She trained her Blastoise and Lucario hard when it came to their Mega Evolutions, making them even stronger than ever. Her pokemon understood how she felt and happily complied with whatever she wanted them to do.

The professor paced back and forth in front of his desk, mumbling and talking to himself. He still couldn't believe it but he could not deny that he had noticed that Lysandre had been acting quite strange lately. Every time they talked, the red-haired man would always mention something about preserving beauty and would try to get him to join Team Flare.

"What are we going to do now, Professor?" Serena asked after a few minutes of watching Sycamore.

The professor scratched his head, "Well, we can't do much but resume where we had left off I suppose."

The young trainer stood up, her fists still clenched at her sides, "But what about Lysandre? What are we going to do about him?"

Sycamore bent down a little to level with Serena, his face just a few inches away from hers, "I know you feel responsible for letting him roam free but nobody is blaming you, _ma belle._ You have to understand that. Continue on with your journey, defeat the Elite Four, become Champion,"

Serena winced when he told her about being Champion but luckily, the professor didn't notice, "Worry about him later. From what I gather, he's put his operation to a stop."

Serena looked up, "He did? Why? Where did you get this information? Are you toying with me?"

The professor laughed, "No, I am not toying with you. I've sent Dexio and Sina to investigate. I'm sure you've met them already. They're quite a pair those two."

At the mention of those two names, Serena perked up and relaxed, "Oh you mean those really eccentric people dressed in an all-white attire?"

"Right! Those two. Anyway, with the halt of his operation, I'm sure you have enough time to go on ahead and complete you journey throughout Kalos," Sycamore straightened up, "Go on then. The world awaits you."

Serena stood there and gave him a worried look, "But I'm not strong enough. . ."

"Not strong enough?! Nonsense! You've been training your team really hard since . . . well since that day. You've got 5 Gym Badges and your team believes in you. . . I believe in you," Sycamore tucked Serena's dark brown hair behind her ear, making her blush furiously.

The blushing trainer stared at Professor Sycamore and he stared back. Silence fell over them as they both tried to read each other's expressions.

One of his assistants knocked on the door causing the two to jump, "Professor? One of the pokemon has been acting strongly to the stone that we'd uncovered. We thought maybe you'd like to check it out."

Sycamore cleared his throat, "I-I'll be out there in a minute."

Serena grabbed her bag from the chair and placed her navy blue felt hat on her head, "Uh, I guess I'll be heading out now," She walked towards the door and flashed him a smile albeit she was hesitant on resuming her journey, "Thank you. . . Professor. For believing in me."

The professor wavered for a bit and grabbed her sleeve just as she was about to walk out the door, "Serena, I. . ."

The said girl looked back at him to see a bewildered look on his face, "Yes, Professor?"

Truth be told, he didn't know what he wanted to say. He acted on impulse and now she was looking at him curiously, "Good uh luck and uh be safe. I'd like to have you back in one piece," He let go of her sleeve.

Sycamore mentally kicked himself, '_Stupid! Idiot! Why the fuck did I say that? Shit shit shit. Now she'll think I'm a pervert or something. I swear to Arceus.' _

Serena chuckled, "Oh gee. Wow I thought it was something deathly serious. Don't worry, Professor. I'll make it back alive," she straightened her coat, '_Hopefully__',_ she added in her thoughts.

The dark-haired man sighed, "That's good to hear."

_'What do you mean, Serena? It IS serious! You can't go dying on me.' _He thought to himself and threw the horrible thought of her dying away in the dark recesses of his mind.

Serena patted the professor's arm, "I'll be back soon. If you need me just send me a message through my Holo Caster, okay?"

And with that Serena turned and left, leaving Sycamore to realise that it had been the first time she's smiled and laughed since that fateful day.

* * *

Serena walked out of the Pokemon Lab and out into the cool air and loud buzz of Lumiose City. She stretched for a bit before heading to Route 14. She decided to stop by the Pokemon Centre to stock up on some materials since she was running low. When she got there she heard the ring of her Holo Caster and checked the message from Calem.

The hologram of her best friend shone bright, "Hey Serena! Professor Sycamore sent me a message to tell me that you were resuming your adventure again and I thought maybe you'd want to battle with me. I'm at Route 14. Let's meet up there, okay?"

Serena smiled softly to herself, some things just never change. She quickly bought Hyper Potions, Ultra Balls, Revives and Full Restores then headed towards the gate to Route 14. Once she went through it, she spotted her dark-haired friend waiting by the slide nearby.

She ran to him and hugged him, "Calem! Hey, I would've thought that you'd be at Anistar City by now, grabbing your seventh badge."

He chuckled nervously and let her go, "Well, I kind of uh put a standstill to my journey when I found out that you did as well."

The smile left Serena's face as quickly as it came, "Why? Why would you do that? Why would you stop just because I did?"

"I stopped because I didn't see what the point was if I couldn't live up to you," Calem replied, confused by the turn of events.

Serena was silent. She hated when people said that. She absolutely hated it. Why did people have to measure their strength by hers? They're always telling her that she would be the one to save them all. The one they could call Champion. It was a burden she had to bare. A burden she had to bare alone.

She didn't respond to him, making Calem worry. He thought he saw fury in her eyes but shrugged it off,"Serena? Are you all right?"

The young trainer nodded idly, "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Just. . . thinking," She grabbed Greninja's pokeball, "So how about that battle?"

Calem smiled, oblivious, "Heh. You'd better watch out Serena. My pokemon became a lot stronger these past few weeks."

Serena cocked an eyebrow, "Oh boy, I am trembling in my boots."

* * *

"Sir? The girl's Holo Caster is active."

Lysandre sat on his seat, which was more of a throne really, and nodded, "Play the message."

The grunt complied and transferred the hologram onto the centre of the globe.

The image of the young boy Serena often battles with came up, "Hey Serena! Professor Sycamore sent me a message to tell me that you were resuming your adventure again," Upon hearing this, Lysandre stood up, "I thought maybe you'd want to battle with me. I'm at Route 14. Let's meet up there, okay?"

The message ended and Lysandre walked towards one of the large screens, "Bring up the footage from Camera 2 in Route 14. Hurry."

The grunt nodded, "Here it is, sir."

The image of Serena and her friend talking came up on the screen.

"Why? Why would you do that? Why would you stop just because I did?" Serena didn't look too happy.

The boy, confused by the sudden change in her expression, replied, "I stopped because I didn't see what the point was if I couldn't live up to you."

Serena fell silent and Lysandre felt irritation creep inside him. Don't they know how she feels? Don't they ever realise the pressure they're laying on her? She is not a machine. She is a person. A beautiful person. He looked at Serena with compassion. She is obviously tired of all this. Why couldn't they just let her do what she wants? Let her be free of this burden on her shoulders? Lysandre knew that he could help her. He was the only one who understood how she felt. But he also knew that it wasn't the right time to step in. He needed to wait. All he can do now is guide her.

And maybe one day, she could join Team Flare and clean the world of hatred and selfishness with him at her side.

* * *

**There we go, basically Chapter 1 is done. **

**If you felt like this was still too short then don't worry! These chapters will gradually become longer and longer.**

**As always, reviews are appreciated. Please tell me how I can improve upon this story.**

**Lemons will come later. **

**Again, I will try to update regularly.**

**Tomorrow, though, I probably won't be able to update since my family's doing something. We'll see.**

**So yeah. **

**'Til the next chapter!**


	3. You Take My Breath Away

**Hello everyone! Welcome to basically Chapter 2 of All The Lonely People. **

**Last chapter, I tried to set the two paths that Serena has to choose from when the time comes. **

**I've thought long and hard about where this story is going to go and I think I've a got an idea where. **

**Thank you to Knight of the Iron Hammer Vita, Depersonalization and Drindrak for the support. Your reviews fuel my motivation to write. **

**Allons-y!**

* * *

_"Look into my eyes and you'll see  
I'm the only one  
You've captured my love  
Stolen my heart  
Changed my life  
Every time you make a move  
You destroy my mind"_

_You Take My Breath Away - Queen_

* * *

**You Take My Breath Away**

Valerie panted. Her pokemon were exhausted and so was she, "Yes. . . That was a fine battle," She reached in her pocket for a small box, "I shall reward you for your victory."

The Gym Leader opened the box and revealed the shining badge hidden inside, "This is the Fairy Badge. It is yours now. Its beauty is captivating, is it not?"

Serena nodded in awe, "Yes, it truly is. Thank you, Valerie."

"You are a strong trainer. I have high hopes for you, Serena. You will make a fine Champion," Valerie smiled sweetly.

"Y-Yes. . . Thank you, once again. I'll be going then."

"Farewell, trainer."

Serena made her way onto the flashing green pad and immediately felt herself pulled through space. She opened her eyes and she was once again at the entrance of the gym.

The strange man situated in every gym she went to came up to her with a huge grin on his face, "You found the Gym Leader and beat her! No small feat! Super sweet!"

Serena chuckled, "Thanks I guess."

"We've put your name on those mysterious statues," He pointed at the odd lamp-shaped statue with the gym symbol on top, "Give them a poke - they're surprisingly soft, right?"

The young trainer complied and poked the statue, she quickly retracted her hand in shock, "Holy shit. It's like a goddamn pillow or something," Amused, she kept poking and poking.

The strange man laughed, "Okay, Serena, I think your friends are waiting for you. . . Serena?"

Serena couldn't hear him, she was too engrossed by the surprising softness of the statue.

"Hey, kid come on now. Kid. Kid. Arceus help me. . . KID!"

The brunette jumped, "Oh sorry mister. It just kind of helped me take my mind off some things."

"You going through some tough times, kid? Yeah I feel ya. Anyway, your friends are waiting for you. Something about the Pokeball Factory. Best of luck to ya, champ," The man waved as she left, "We're counting on you."

As soon as she exited the gym, she sighed a deep sigh, the words of the strange man echoing in her head.

'_We're counting on you.'_

Fucking hell. Fuck.

She was so tired of it all. Why can't they just let Calem do her "job"? He'd appreciate it more than her.

She decided to make her way to the Pokemon Centre to heal her pokemon before heading to the Pokeball Factory, albeit they only took a bit of damage, when she heard familiar voices call out to her.

"Hey Serena!"

It was Trevor and Shauna.

Shauna spotted the beautiful badge in her hands, "Hey that's the Fairy badge! It's so cute and sparkly! Know what? We're going to tour the Pokeball Factory! Come with us!"

Trevor nodded, "I'm interested in Pokeballs because they're used to catch pokemon! To put it another way, I'm utterly fascinated by them!"

The pair looked at Serena pleadingly. Feeling defeated she sighed, "Oh all right. Let me catch up to you guys."

As quickly as they came, the two young trainers ran off into the direction of the factory leaving Serena behind.

* * *

Serena arrived at the path to Pokeball Factory only to find Trevor and Shauna whispering to each other nearby.

Shauna had a determined look in her eyes, "He'll let us in. You'll see! I'll go talk to him again!" She turned abruptly and ran to the entrance.

"Shauna! Wait!" Trevor shouted before he chased after her.

'_Holy fuck, I haven't even been here for five minutes and they go running off again,' _Serena thought to herself.

She started walking to the entrance when she heard footsteps behind her. Instinctively, she grabbed Greninja's pokeball.

"Did Shaunee and Trevs go running off just now? What's the deal?"

Serena relaxed, it was only Tierno and Calem.

Calem shook his head, "We were supposed to meet here too. . . I wonder what the matter is?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the trio heard a shrill scream and looked at each other with concerned expressions before they saw Shauna and Trevor being chased by a member of Team Flare.

"Shaunee, wait!" Trevor was panting but didn't give up and ran as fast as he could after his friend.

"STOP!" The Team Flare grunt shouted, not noticing the trio standing nearby.

Tierno looked at Serena and Calem before asking the question that was on each of their minds, "Hm? Huh? What is going on?"

Calem and Serena shook their heads, silently telling him that they were all on the same boat.

"W-well, I guess I'll go help them!" Tierno said before running after the two young'uns.

Calem grabbed Serena's hand, "There might be something happening inside. Let's check it out."

Truthfully, Serena didn't want to go. Not one bit. She might risk having another encounter with _him_ and frankly,she didn't want that.

She was about to refuse, opting to help out Tierno with Trevor and Shauna but Calem cut her off by dragging her to the factory.

She sighed and gave up, only realising then and there that she had been sighing a lot today.

* * *

"Sir, I have reports coming from the team at the Pokeball Factory that she's arrived. What shall we do?"

Lysandre opened his eyes, "We do nothing but watch."

The grunt nodded, "Yes, sir."

_'So she's made it this far, hm? She's getting stronger. That's good. That's very good indeed.'_

He focused on the screen and watched her tear through the grunts one by one. He admired her style of fighting, she was very cunning, always finding her opponent's weakness and utilising it. He watched closely as she activated Lucario's Mega Evolution. The blue pokemon's attacks became stronger and faster. The grunt's Mightyena didn't stand a chance against the powerful attacks being laid on it by Lucario. Lysandre was amazed by how strong she and her team had become in just a span of four weeks. She truly is very determined. The next thing Serena did, however, made a huge impact on him, she ordered Lucario to stop attacking and recalled it back to its pokeball. The Mightyena whimpered before collapsing and returning to its ball.

Why did she do that?

Was she looking out for the welfare of the other?

Did she care about the safety of her adversary's pokemon?

Lysandre felt himself standing and walked over to the large screen. He watched her every move, completely enamoured.

She is beautiful. Inside and out.

This girl, this one girl has already made him question his decisions and in what? Four weeks?

What was it about her that made him act so. . . different nowadays?

He turned to everyone in the room, "I have decided to put our operations on a complete stop. At least for a while. I need everyone to be patient. We will resume in due time."

The burly man at the back of the room stomped over to Lysandre, "B-but sir, we've already secured the machine and the legendary pokemon! Why are we stopping now? WHY?"

Lysandre raised a hand up, "I understand that, Xerosic but I need you to trust me."

Xerosic shook his head, "Sir, I do trust you but I've - We've dedicated so much to this and we're stopping now because of one girl?! I do _not _understand! It won't make a difference in the end, the time we do it. So why don't we do it now?!"

The red-haired man towered over and leaned forward, causing the scientist to shrink back, "**I **funded your research. **I **found you the pokemon. **I **secured the machine. **I **am your boss. You answer to me! And when I say we're stopping, you better damn fucking trust my decision or I swear to Arceus I will break every bone on your body! **Are we clear**?"

Xerosic tried to gathered his voice but his respond only came as a whisper, "Y-yes, s-sir. . ."

Lysandre backed away, "Good. I will be in my quarters."

* * *

"Shit, the boss ain't gonna be happy 'bout this," Celosia said, panting.

Bryony stood up, "I know. Fuck, I don't wanna go back to base."

"I'm with you there," Celosia replied, "Let's bail! This won't be the last time you'll be seeing us, brats!"

The Team Flare admins ran out of the room, leaving Calem and Serena with the owner of the Pokeball Factory.

The owner sighed in relief, "Oh I can't thank you enough for saving my business! My life! Please take any of these gifts," He held out his hands and revealed a Big Nugget and a Master Ball.

"Why don't you choose first, Serena?" Calem nudged her forward.

"A-all right. . . I'll take the Master Ball then." Serena grabbed the Master Ball from the owner's hand and stuffed it in her bag.

The owner contemplated for a short while before handing her the Big Nugget, "Here just take both. This act really means a lot to me. Oh of course we can't forget about you too, young man. Take these."

Calem accepted the gifts and placed them in his bag as well, "Come on, Serena. Let's go meet up with the others."

Serena turned to the owner, "Many thanks, mister."

The owner shook his head, "No no! I should be thanking you two! Anyway, you'll always be welcome here and if you ever want a tour just give me a call and I'll arrange one right away, free of charge"

"Yes! Sweet! Thanks again!" Calem said in glee.

"Still that blasted Team Flare. . . What are they planning to accomplish by taking all the Pokeballs themselves. . ."

Calem and Serena both shrugged truly not knowing the answer.

"Let's go, Serena. The others might be worried. Let's not keep them waiting," Calem said, before grabbing Serena's hand for the second time today and lead her downstairs.

Once they were at the bottom of the stairs, Shauna, Tierno and Trevor greeted them.

"Hey do you think it's okay to go have a look around now?" Shauna asked.

Calem slumped forward, "I'm sorry. . . Team Flare messed everything up. It's not a good time right now."

Trevor raised a fist in the air, "That damn Team Flare! It'd be best not to get involved with those guys."

Calem straightened up, "Well if it wasn't for Serena, we would never have been successful with stopping these guys from completely taking all the pokeballs."

"What do you expect? She is going to be the Champion in a couple of weeks, right, Serena?" Tierno asked, a huge smile on his face.

The brunette nodded idly, "Y-yeah. That's right, Tierno," She tried her best not to sound hesitant.

"Wow! I can't believe I'm going to be friends with a Champion," Shauna said, eyes twinkling.

Serena's dark haired counterpart patted her on the back, "She's going to save us all!"

At that point, Serena didn't know if she could handle it anymore so she interrupted her friends and left, leaving them with the excuse that she had best be going to Anistar City to grab her next badge. They all collectively agreed, saying that they understood and told her that they should meet at Anistar City.

* * *

Serena was finally alone and she kind of hated it and at the same time favoured it. When she is alone, thoughts of Team Flare, the Elite Four, the position of Champion and she didn't want to admit it but _he_ crept in her mind. The fiery man taking up most of her time. That was all she was thinking about these days and that made her hate being alone. When she is in the company of her friends, she momentarily forgets about those thoughts but is usually reminded of it at numerous points of the day making her favour being alone.

On her way to Dendemille Town, she fought a bunch of trainers, her pokemon taking little to no damage. She was proud of her team. They grew stronger in just a few short weeks. Sometimes she didn't even need to use potions anymore. She believed in them and they believed in her. They grew stronger collectively. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard the ring of her Holo Caster. She opened it to check who the sender of the message was and she nearly dropped it.

It was Lysandre.

What did he want?

Should she even open the message?

Her head was spinning. She concluded that she should just watch the message and get it over with. Whatever it was.

Serena closed her eyes and pressed the button, the hologram of the man she despised appeared before her. She hated seeing him. It was all his fault she was in this mess.

The hologram of Lysandre began to speak and she opened her eyes. His voice was smooth, clear and seductive even through the tiny speaker.

"Hello, Serena," Her name rolled off his tongue and she felt herself shiver. Goddamn this man.

"I trust you are doing well, my dear. I heard about your little adventure at the Pokeball Factory and I must say, I am impressed. You have gotten stronger. I am sure you are wondering why I sent you a message, are you not? I would like for us to meet at Dendemille Town. Don't worry, I promise I will not hurt you. I simply want to talk. Still, if you do not want to. . . I understand. Farewell, Serena."

The hologram disappeared and she felt her heart lurch.

What is she going to do?


	4. Houses of the Holy

**Hello everyone! Welcome to Chapter 3 of All The Lonely People. I'm putting some in-game dialogue into the mix so yeah.**

**I'd like to thank Crazybird101 and Depersonalization for the support. Your reviews fuel my motivation to write. **

**I hope you guys are liking the story so far. **

**Please tell me how I can improve upon this story.**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

_"There's an angel on my shoulder, In my hand a sword of gold _  
_Let me wander in your garden. And the seeds of love I'll sow. You know. _

_So the world is spinning faster. Are you dizzy when you're stoned _  
_Let the music be your master. Will you heed the master's call _  
_Oh... Satan and man. _

_Said there ain't no use in crying. Cause it will only, only drive you mad _  
_Does it hurt to hear them lying? Was this the only world you had? Oh-oh"_

_Houses of the Holy - Led Zeppelin_

* * *

_'What should I do?'_

Serena stared at the spot where Lysandre's hologram had been. Her Holo Caster still in hand. Should she send the professor a message? That would seem like the best solution.

_'But Lysandre did say he just wanted to talk. No harm in talking. . . right?'_

The brunette shook the thought out of her head. What was she thinking?

She sighed and slipped her Holo Caster back in her pocket before dragging herself to Dendemille Town.

'_Fuck! Well I guess I've got no choice. Better face him now and get it over with.'_

Serena arrived at Dendemille Town only minutes later and was hit by the chilly air and icy snow. She shivered and pulled her clothes tighter around her before walking towards the Pokemon Centre.

She only took a few steps when a familiar and very welcome voice greeted her.

"Why hello there, Serena!" Professor Sycamore ran over to her, his dark hair a great contrast to the white snow covering the ground.

She smiled at him, "Hello, professor."

Another figure approached her, it was Dexio, "How are you doing, Serena? How is your journey?"

"I'm doing okay. Thanks for asking," Serena replied. She tried her best to speak as clearly as she could in the cold weather, "I've got six badges now. So I guess I'm doing all right."

The professor noticed how tightly she pulled her clothes to her body, "Are you cold, Serena? Here," He took off his coat and offered it to her.

Serena raised her hands, "N-no. I can't possibly take your coat. I mean, I admit it _is_ chilly but I can manage. Really, don't worry about me."

Sycamore chuckled softly, "Serena, I insist. I can't have you catching a cold. Here I'll help you."

The professor stepped closer to Serena and draped his large lab coat on her shoulders. He gently pulled her long, dark, silky hair from under the coat and let it fall down onto her back. Her scent suddenly overtook his nose and he lavished in it. It was sweet and utterly intoxicating.

She didn't seem to mind how close they were to each other. He felt a sudden urge to take her away somewhere. Somewhere far away where no-one could bother them.

"Professor?"

Sycamore was dragged out of his thoughts and brought back into reality when he realised that Dexio was standing behind him. The blond was trying not to smile.

The professor cleared his throat, "Uh right. I - Serena, do you remember the pokemon Lysandre mentioned back at Lumiose City months ago?"

Serena racked her mind for any pokemon the red head might have said. After a while, it was clear that the name had escaped her mind.

She shook her head, "Sorry, professor. It seems I cannot recall."

"It's quite all right. Kalos's legendary pokemon is called, Yveltal. According to material I've read, those who saw it were so overwhelmed by its power, they were only able to say that this pokemon resembled the letter Y. Apparently, this pokemon will absorb energy. Its lifespan is said to be 1000 years. When it reaches the end of its life, it steals all of the spirits around it."

Dexio crossed his arms, "Wherever do you think a pokemon that amazing could be now?"

"When Kalos's Legendary Pokemon loses all of its vitality, it goes to sleep in a secret place," The professor offered an apologetic smile, "I have no clue where it is."

"It would be absolutely astounding if you found it, Serena," Dexio said, smiling at her, "I could help you out. I'll read on that pokemon and if I find something, I'll let you know, all right?"

Serena smiled back, "You've got yourself a deal."

The professor laughed, "Oh it would be a thrill if you found it, indeed. But your journey is yours and your pokemon's alone."

_'Oh how I wish it were that simple, Professor,' _Serena thought to herself bitterly.

"We'll be waiting for you, Champ," Dexio laid a hand on her shoulder before turning to leave.

Serena's smile faded, "Y-yeah. I. . . I'll - I'll be there."

Sycamore noticed the change in her mood and as soon as the blond was out of earshot, he bent down to level with her, "Is everything okay, Serena?"

The young trainer immediately flashed him a smile, "Of course, professor! I'm just tired is all."

_'Shit. Was I that obvious?' _Serena asked herself, '_Should I tell him?'_

Sycamore gently cupped her face in his hand, "You can tell me anything. I won't utter a word about it, I promise."

Serena felt herself melt into his touch and let her guard down. His hand was incredibly warm against her cheek. But her resolve was strong, she didn't want to burden someone else with her troubles. It was hers to bare alone.

"I'm fine. Like I said, I'm just tired. I think I should go now, professor. I've got a badge to claim," She forced a smile and backed away from his touch. She took off the lab coat and stretched her hand out, "Thank you."

Sycamore straightened up, "No no. Keep it. I've got a closet full of those things."

Serena nodded and put it back on, "If you say so."

The professor chuckled, "All right, I've taken enough of your time. Take care of yourself, Serena. I'll see you again soon."

He turned and left, going to Arceus only knows where, leaving Serena with a burning thought in her mind.

'_Maybe I should've told him how I truly felt.'_

* * *

Serena stocked up on some supplies and headed out of the Pokemon Centre, her pokemon fully healed, when her Holo Caster rang. She grabbed it out of her pocket and checked the message.

It was from Lysandre. Again.

She opened the message and the hologram of Lysandre materialised in front of her, "Serena, I hope you haven't forgotten about our meeting at Dendemille Town. I am by the windmill, just up the stairs. By the time you get this message, I would have already been there for about five minutes. I hope you decide to chat. I am not forcing you to, keep that in mind."

The hologram disappeared. She had momentarily forgotten about it. She grabbed her belongings and made a dash to the windmill.

She reached the windmill in less than two minutes and surveyed the area. There were no grunts about. There wasn't even anyone there. It was just her and Lysandre.

"Ah, it is good to see you again," A smooth voice said behind her.

At the sound of it, she felt her heart drop. No turning back now.

Serena turned around to face the man that she despised, a scowl on her face, "What do you want from me?"

He walked forward, closing the gap between them by considerable amount, "I simply want to talk," He looked her up and down and noticed that was wearing Professor Sycamore's coat. He said nothing about it. Burying a few thoughts.

"Bullshit. What are you trying to do here?" Serena asked, venom laced in her voice.

Lysandre didn't give up and stalked forward, making Serena back away, "Are you happy, Serena?"

Serena raised an eyebrow, "What? What are you on about?"

"Are you tired of it all?" Lysandre asked, still stalking forward.

"H-how? How did you. . .?" Serena trailed off and she felt her back touch the railing. She was cornered.

Lysandre placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head upward to face him, "Why do you refuse to tell people about how you really feel? Why won't you tell them that you are hurting? Why don't you tell them you feel suffocated?"

Serena stared into his sky blue eyes, surprised that they looked genuinely concerned.

How did he know about that?

Why did he even care?

"I. . . I didn't want to tell anyone because I don't want them to feel responsible for the pain that I am feeling. They shouldn't feel responsible. I don't blame them for. . . for choosing me. For believing in me," Serena replied after a while.

Lysandre let go of her chin and rested his hands on the railing either side her. She was still cornered.

They both watched each other, staying like that for a long time until he finally broke the silence, "You are truly something, Serena."

She didn't reply. All she did was watch him.

The tall man leaned forward slowly his face coming closer and closer.

Serena felt her heart lurch. Her ears were ringing and the butterflies in her stomach flew wildly.

He stopped just enough for their lips to touch but not make full contact, "I will see you again soon, Serena. Take care."

Serena felt his arms withdraw from either side of her and she closed her eyes. She heard his footsteps grow fainter and she let out the breath that she had been holding in.

What the fuck just happened?

* * *

_Anistar City_

Serena left the gym victorious once again and placed the Psychic Badge in her case. She made her way to the Pokemon Centre and healed her pokemon up. Olympia had been a formidable opponent but she was better and beat her in less than fifteen minutes. Getting around the gym seemed to have taken more of her time.

She was still wearing the professor's lab coat, as to her, it provided some sort of comfort. Comfort from the cold and comfort from _him._ The memory of their latest encounter viciously crawled its way into her mind again. She gripped the coat tightly and touched her lips.

Was he mocking her?

The questioned burned her mind.

Was he teasing her?

Her grip on the coat tightened even further.

"What do you want from me?!" Serena shouted aloud.

Everyone walking nearby stopped and looked at her, whispering to themselves. They stared at her for a long while before walking away.

She ignored them and went to the enigmatic device in the city, that was now a tourist destination, to clear her head. As soon as she was there, however, she was stopped by Sina, Dexio's partner.

"Heya, Serena! I came in place of Dexio to tell you something," Her short purple hair bounced as she ran to the trainer.

Serena waved, "Hi, Sina. What does Dexio want?"

Sina made a face and bit her lip, "Well it's kind of a short message and very vague too. He says there's someone here in Anistar City that knows about the Legendary Pokemon Oh and here, I almost forgot. I've brought you some gifts. Put them to good use okay?"

The girl gave Serena some Repeat Balls before turning to leave.

"Hm, wonder who knows about Yveltal?" Serena asked no-one in particular.

She decided to explore the town and investigate the whereabouts of this mysterious person. She encountered several eccentric characters throughout the city like the Memory Girl who read the memory of her Greninja.

"Your Greninja remembers seeing you for the first time when it was still Froakie. It really wanted to get picked by a trainer and it's happy that it was picked by you. Your pokemon really care for you," The girl had said.

Serena felt herself tear up almost. She loved her team and it's good to know that they loved her back.

She also stopped by the Cafe to get a drink when she heard some people talking about Team Flare. Apparently, the sister of one of the people talking had told him that Lysandre put a halt to their operations completely for an undisclosed amount of time. Personally, she felt relieved but she was also confused.

Why did he decide to stop?

'_Oh well. That's for the best, I guess.'_ She thought as she took a sip of her tea.

After she finished her tea, she went into one of the buildings where an old man had stayed in. He approached her as soon as she came in.

"Why, hello there. You must be that apprentice of Professor Sycamore's I've heard so much about."

Serena looked around to make sure that he was talking to her, he noticed and laughed.

"Yes, yes I'm talking to you! Do you see any other trainers in here? I suppose you want to know about the Legendary Pokemon, Yveltal, hm? Well allow me to tell you what I know," He guided her to the dining room where he poured her a cup of tea. Which she accepted, although she just had one.

The words of her mother echoed in her head, "You can never have too much tea!"

She smiled at the memory, "Thank you, sir."

The old man nodded, "Oh it's no problem. Well now, I'll tell you about Yveltal. It happened about 800 years ago. The Pokemon known as Yveltal spread its ominous wings, engulfing the lands of Kalos in darkness. At that moment, people and pokemon began to fall one by one. Yveltal let out a piercing cry and took to the sky, vanishing to an unknown location. Stories say that when it nears the end of its thousand-year lifespan, Yeveltal absorbs the life force of the living things around it in order to charge its own energy. Another tale talks of the appearance of just such a terrifying pokemon. Back 3000 years ago, Kalos was engulfed in a terrible war. According to the stories, a pokemon appeared and stole the life force of countless living beings. Some people suspect that it was Yveltal, but there's no way to know. Maybe they're just using a Legendary Pokemon as a metaphor for war and pestilence," the old man took a sip of his tea, "In the tales, after Yveltal finished storing the energy it had absorbed, it transformed into some kind cocoon, remaining in hiding deep in the mountains."

Serena looked at him in disbelief. Such a powerful and dangerous pokemon Yveltal is. The person who could manage to catch this magnificent creature would be able to rule over all of Kalos and maybe even the world.

"But of course, those are according to old tales, as I say. Tales and stories," the old man continued, "That is all I have to say. Now, trainer, you should head on to Snowbelle City and get that eight badge. If you ever find Yveltal, give me a holler. I'd very much like to know if it is as they truly say."

Serena nodded, "Thank you for the information, sir. I think I have an idea of what I'm up against."

"Oh ho ho! You truly want to capture this pokemon, do you now? Well, best of luck to you. I'll be cheering you on."

The young trainer stood and left. The thought of capturing a pokemon as strong as Yveltal appealed to her very much.

Now, the only thing she needed was its location.

* * *

_Couriway Town_

Serena found her way to Couriway Town and was immediately drawn to the waterfall near the Pokemon Centre. She found it calming and she spent some time there. She thought about taking a nap but decided against it seeing as it was almost night and she didn't want to be attacked. She brought out four beloved pokemon, Greninja, Blastoise, Lucario and Blaziken. They greeted her and sat around her. She gave each of them some pokepuffs to snack on.

"Man, I wish life was this simple," Serena mumbled.

"It's nice to see you bonding with your pokemon."

Serena turned around with a smile, "Professor! What are you doing here?"

Her pokemon greeted the professor with glee, delighted to see him. The professor laughed and greeted each one of them back.

"Well, it came to my attention that I haven't been here for quite some time now. Also, I wanted to check on something," He said. He realised that Serena was still wearing his lab coat and he couldn't help but smile.

Serena cocked an eyebrow, "Oh? What is it?"

The professor smirked and Serena felt her heart stop, "How about we battle and if you win I tell you. Deal?"

It was Serena's turn to smirk, "Deal."

"One pokemon each, let's make this battle quick and fair."

Serena nodded.

The professor grabbed a pokeball from his pocket, "Go on then, Venusaur!"

"I know you can do it, Blaziken! Show 'em what you've got!"

A large crowd gathered around them to watch one of Kalos's strongest trainers and their beloved professor go head to head in an intense battle.

"Blaziken, use Blaze Kick!" Serena shouted.

The pokemon gave a quick nod before running as fast as it could to the large Venusaur.

"Venusaur, grab its leg using your vines when I tell you to," the professor ordered.

People around them were whispering, "Why won't he dodge?"

"And now!"

Venusaur wrapped its vines around Blaziken's outstretched leg and incapacitated its movement from the waist down.

Serena wasn't fazed for one second, "Use Sky Uppercut then Flare Blitz!"

The pokemon nodded and laid a hefty uppercut onto Venusaur causing it to fly backwards then cloaked itself in fire, burning the Venusaur's vines, allowing Blaziken to charge at it.

Sycamore swallowed, Flare Blitz was almost a one hit k.o. move and if Venusaur gets hit, it would be the end of the battle, "Try to dodge it, Venusaur!"

Venusaur tried its best but the damage it took from the uppercut was substantial and it wasn't exactly a fast pokemon either.

Blaziken charged at it with the strength that is could muster and knocked the pokemon out. Venusaur returned to its pokeball and the professor raised both his hands in the air.

"You are really something!"

Serena was hit with the memory of her encounter with Lysandre, he had said the same thing. She shook her head and suppressed it, telling herself that she was here with Professor Sycamore.

"You and your pokemon have developed strong bonds by spending time together and by caring about one another. That's why you and your pokemon are so strong."

Serena smiled, "Now will you tell me?"

The professor blushed, "Ah yes. A deal is a deal."

Serena called her pokemon back to their balls but spoke to Blaziken first, "You did really good. I'm proud of you. Now go get some rest. I know Flare Blitz really takes a lot from you."

Blaziken nodded and showed its appreciation by patting her head before returning to its ball.

The duo left together and the crowd parted slowly as they stepped through, amazed by Serena's power.

Serena glanced up at the professor with a questioning look, "What did you want to check, Professor?"

Sycamore laughed, "Oh well it's kind of embarrassing. It also kind of involves you."

"Me?" Serena asked.

"Y-yes well, uh, you'll see."


	5. Strawberry Fields Forever

**Welcome to basically Chapter 4 of All The Lonely People! If you've been here from the start, I'd just like to say thank you! It really motivates me to write longer chapters. **

**Special thanks to Depersonalization for constantly reviewing, Flameshadowwolf, youaresleeping and The Psychopath. You are all awesome and I love you.**

**Last chapter was a particularly long one, innit? I hope you guys liked it. I'm trying my best to update regularly so yeah I hope you guys don't feel like I've bullshit through the chapters and such. Please tell me how I can improve upon this story.**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

_"Living is easy with eyes closed_  
_Misunderstanding all you see_  
_It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out_  
_It doesn't matter much to me_  
_Let me take you down, cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields_  
_Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about_  
_Strawberry Fields forever"_

_Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles_

* * *

**Strawberry Fields Forever**

Serena glanced at the professor covertly. Well at least she thought so. He looked at her with a questioning glance and she quickly looked away. He chuckled and kept walking.

They arrived at the station that was just up the stairs beside the entrance to the town. The professor ran over to the last bench at the station.

He looked at Serena, who was still by the stairs and waved for her to come to him, "Serena, over here!"

She smiled and walked over to where he knelt, "Well, did you find it?"

"I did indeed. I can't believe it's still here, you'd have thought someone would paint on it," Sycamore fingered the carved letters on the wooden bench, "I left this message here ten years ago, when I felt really lost. I didn't know what to do and I didn't think that I would be able to become the person I wanted to be. I came back two months ago, and carved a new one."

He covered the message he recently left with his hands and he was blushing, "This new one kind of, uh, involves you."

"Really? Can I read it?" Serena asked. She was curious as to what he would have said about her, "I did win the battle and a deal is a deal."

The professor closed his eyes and withdrew his hands, "All right, I am a man of my word. But read the message from ten years ago first, okay?"

Serena laughed, "Okay okay. I promise I won't make fun of it."

Sycamore smiled at her, "I'll hold you to that."

Serena started reading the message,

_To the person reading this:_

_What are you like now?_

_Did you become who you wanted to be?_

_For starters, what was the person you wanted to become even like?_

_I don't know, but it would be wonderful if you can boast that you're living each to day to its fullest. _

_To future Sycamore._

_From the Sycamore dreaming of the future._

She looked at the professor to see that he had been looking right at her as well. She blushed and looked away. She then started to read the second message he had left recently.

_To the person reading this:_

_I'm happy to say that I've accomplished my goal._

_I found myself through those years of hardship and here I am now._

_I have my own lab, employees I care about deeply, and I even have a couple of trainers helping me out._

_This one trainer, Serena, is a spirited one. She's also very caring. I watched her grow stronger as the days went by._

_Her bond with her Pokemon is nothing I've ever encountered. _

_But I feel like she is carrying something. _

_People expect her to become this beacon of light that would guide them in the darkness._

_That is asking too much from one person._

_I feel it yet I am guilty of doing the same thing sometimes._

_I hope one day she would tell me how she really felt._

_I would gladly take on the world with her._

_To future Sycamore_

_From the Sycamore that hopes that you are content with where you stand _

Serena felt tears slowly come down from her eyes. She couldn't believe what she had just read. He cares for her. To the extent that he would carry her burdens with her. She closed her eyes. No, she wouldn't allow it. As stubborn as always, it was hers to bare alone.

"Serena. . ." Sycamore ran his thumb across Serena's cheek but didn't tell her to stop crying. He knew that she should let it out. Let it all out.

He pulled her closer to him and rested his chin on her head, "It's all right, Serena. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to add more shit in your life. I'm sorry."

Serena didn't say anything. She _couldn't_ say anything. She continued to let the tears flow. She wanted to tell him that he did nothing wrong. Not just him but everybody else. She really couldn't blame them for believing in her.

She listened to the beating of his heart. It was incredibly fast, like he had just ran a marathon. She felt the professor softly kiss her forehead and looked up at him. Serena found him looking into her eyes. He was searching for something. He was searching for what she thought was forgiveness.

What could she say? He didn't do anything wrong.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, "Professor I- "

She was cut off when she heard the ring of her Holo Caster. She felt his arms leave her and with them the warmth and security he exuded. The professor helped her up and nodded, silently telling her that he didn't mind.

Serena checked the message to see that it was from Calem. He asked her why she didn't show up at Anistar City when they agreed to meet there and told her that it didn't bother him if she forgot. He challenged her to a battle at Snowbelle City before entering the gym and told her that he would be waiting impatiently. She sighed then composed herself before turning to the professor.

"It's all right, Serena, I understand. Go. Your friends are waiting for you," He smiled at her but the smile faded away and he cupped her face in his hand, "I'm here for you. I'll _always_ be here for you. I swear on my life."

She squeezed his hand, "Thank you, professor. You don't know how much this means to me," Serena stood on the tips of her toes and gave him a peck on the cheek.

He wanted to tell her. Oh he wanted so badly to tell her. . . but he couldn't. He was scared. What would she think?

She gazed at him before making her way down the stairs.

_'This is it, Augustine! Do it now before it's too late!' _

Every fibre of his being screamed at him to tell her. To tell her and show her just how much he cared.

But he couldn't do it.

* * *

"Greninja, use Night Slash!"

"Dodge it, Meowstic!"

"Night Slash!"

"Dodge!"

The two trainers panted each not wanting to give up. Calem surprised Serena, he had trained hard and his team had gotten stronger. They were down to their last pokemon, both of which were exhausted.

"Meowstic, Charge Beam!"

Serena knew she needed to act fast, Charge Beam was an electric type move and if Greninja gets hit, it would be all over, "Use Smokescreen! Then come up behind it and use Night Slash again!"

Greninja did as it was told and released a cloud of thick smoke onto the Meowstic and jumped behind it then slashed it. Meowstic fainted and returned to its pokeball.

"Very good, Greninja. Rest now," Serena called the tired pokemon back into its own ball, "Sorry Calem, better luck next time."

Her dark-haired counterpart smiled a sort of sad smile, "Man, I thought I had it that time! I guess this means I've got to train harder. Next time, I swear I'll defeat you."

She chuckled, "I hope I'm still alive when that day comes."

Calem pouted, "You cocky bastard. Get that eighth badge already, why don't you?"

"I'm going, I'm going. Don't rush me. Just because you got it already. . . I still need to get to the Pokemon Centre though."

"I'll come with you," Calem walked beside Serena and took their short walk to the Pokemon Centre.

Once there, he asked her if they could go through Victory Road together then split up when they get to the Pokemon League to which she agreed to.

"But who's going in there first?" Serena asked.

Calem balled his hand into a fist and stretched it out, "How about we Rock, Paper, Scissors this bitch?"

"All right."

Serena did the same thing and they chanted together.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

Calem looked at Serena's hand to see that she chose scissors and he chose paper, "Guess you're going up first. Tell me how it went once you get out okay?"

The brunette nodded, "Sure. Why don't you wander around whilst I get my eighth badge."

"I'll be waiting. Don't be too long, it's really cold out here."

Serena waved her hand around dismissively, "Yeah yeah, gramps. Try not to terrorise the town too much and keep it in your pants. Remember what happened last time at Shalour City?"

Calem cringed at the memory, "Don't even mention it."

* * *

"It's cold, it's so fucking cold. I don't know if I can take anymore of this shit," Serena rubbed her hands together and stuffed her hands into the pockets of the professor's lab coat.

She stood outside of the gym just after a once again victorious battle. Wulfric, the Gym Leader, had surprisingly been really easy to defeat. She mainly chose Lucario as it did have fighting type moves.

She heard the door open behind her and the strange man situated in every single gym she had been stepped outside, "There's the future Champ I know and love! Looks like you trumped our ol' Gym Leader! It's never a bad thing to test out the limits of your strength. Am I right or am I right? And since you're such a star, I guess that means you're off to the Pokemon League!"

Before she could answer, the doors opened once again and Wulfric came out of the gym, "You know what? You have all the Gym Badges now, so there's only one thing left to do. It's time you headed off to the Pokemon League! Listen up now. . . Trust in your Pokemon and there's no limit to what you can achieve!"

"Thank you, Wulfric. I'll be going now."

Serena took out her Holo Caster and recorded a short message, telling Calem that she had gotten the badge and that she would be waiting at the gate to Victory Road. She made it a point to tell him to hurry up.

"If you make me wait for ten minutes, I will personally cut your balls off and hang them on my Christmas tree next year," she said with a sly smile on her face.

It only took her a few minutes to reach the gate to Victory Road. She walked on the path leading towards the entrance when she felt someone grab her arm.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"Arceus, Calem, don't do that," Serena hit her friend's arm, "Took you long enough. Come on, Calem. Let's get to it."

* * *

Lysandre took a large sip of his wine, observing. She made it through Victory Road with her companion. That naive boy. He was only slowing her down. He decided to send Malva a message. She was a member of both the Elite Four and Team Flare. She was also a reporter and a self-proclaimed star of the Holo Caster. Lysandre thought she was quite brash at times but she was loyal to the team and that was all that mattered.

"Malva, there is a trainer coming your way. A young woman. I want you to tell me right away if she beats the Champion, which I am sure she will."

Although Team Flare had cameras set up all over Kalos, they had no access to the Pokemon League and having an insider was a big help to them. They tracked down trainers who beat the Champion and kept an eye on them. So far, no-one had made the current list. _Yet. _

He knew Serena had the ability to beat Diantha and he knew that she would retaliate soon so he had to something about it.

He stood up and placed the glass of wine on the arm rest, "Ready a helicopter. I'll be on the deck, if anyone needs me."

"S-sir!" Xerosic ran in front of Lysandre, "The readings on Yveltal, they're off the charts! I suggest we take immediate action and subdue it."

Lysandre shook his head, "No, we have Xerneas. We don't need another Legendary Pokemon to power the machine. Leave it alone, I need to make preparations," He pushed the scientist away.

"But sir-"

The red haired man shot a menacing glance at Xerosic, "_I said leave it."_

"Y-yes, sir. . ."

* * *

"I-I'm so choked up that it's hard to know what I should say, but I. . . I. . ." Diantha wiped the tears from her eyes. Somebody had done it. It's time for her to step down, "I'm just glad at this moment that I was good enough to be Champion. After all, it gave me the chance to meet and battle with you and your wonderful Pokemon! Now I understand why Professor Sycamore said he needed to get Lumiose City ready for the new Champion."

Serena gave the former Champion and small smile, "Thank you, Diantha. I'm glad to have met you as well. I learned a lot from our battle."

"I'm glad to have been replaced by someone like you. Kalos is in safe hands. But before I take you to Lumiose City, would you mind coming this way with me?"

Diantha led her to the lift and they ascended upwards. They entered a small simple room where a machine stood at the back with six slots which were for, what she guessed are Pokemon.

"Here we are! I'm so glad to welcome you in. This grand chamber is where you enter the Kalos's region's Hall of Fame. This is where Pokemon Trainers will live on forever, remembered always for giving their all in battle to the Pokemon League and for the glory and light that they shared with all."

Diantha gestured for Serena to come forward, "Come Serena, Your love for your Pokemon and the way that those Pokemon gave everything they had in battle for you we will record them all right here for eternity."

Serena did as she was told and placed her four Pokemon on the available slots. The slots below the pokeballs lit up in a bright orange colour and a screen lowered down to show the former Champion and the new Champion the rejuvenated Pokemon that helped Serena along the way.

The young trainer didn't know how she felt. It was a bittersweet victory. More bitter than she would like. She was now expected to hold up a sort of image. An image where she is happy and problem free.

Maybe she could go in hiding.

People all over Kalos would probably want her to do something about Team Flare. She would have to face _him_ once again. They would expect her to defeat him. He would most likely be jailed or killed. As much as she hated him, she didn't want anyone to die by her doing.

Arceus help me.

She grabbed her Pokemon from the slots and placed them back in her bag, "What are you going to do now, Diantha?"

The actress shrugged, "I don't know really. I suppose I'll just let fate whisk me away."

Serena considered turning down the position of Champion. Is that even possible? She had to try right?

"Diantha-"

The ground started shaking violently. A deafening thunderclap-like sound boomed in the distance. Serena found herself trying to regain her balance. She looked over to Diantha, she appeared to be doing the same. There was nowhere to go. The room was barren of anything safe to hide under. The roof above them started collapsing and the rock fell one by one in big chunks. The windows shattered, broken glass flying everywhere. Serena shielded her eyes from the shards and covered her neck and spine as much as she could. The two had no choice but to stay put.

Diantha began running to her, "Serena!"

Serena heard a loud thud and blood trickled down her face. She brought her hand up to her head and looked at her hand.

Red.

The ground started coming closer and closer.

It was the last thing she saw before she was engulfed in darkness.

* * *

It was warm. That was the first thing she felt. And soft, _very_ soft. She could smell roses nearby. She buried her face in it. Serena tightened the blanket around her and smiled contently. She noticed that her bed was incredibly soft. Her mother had probably changed it whilst she was away. Speaking of her mother, she might be waiting for her downstairs. She opened her eyes and was greeted by darkness. It took time for her eyes to adjust. There was a lamp on a dresser beside the bed and she turned it on. The room was partially lit but she could see that almost everything was the colour red. There was a flag that hung above the fireplace, it had the symbol of Team Flare.

This was not her home.

Serena pinched herself a couple of times and told herself that she must have been dreaming. . . right? She was just dreaming. That was it.

She heard voices outside the room. Panicked, she sat up abruptly only to feel pain in her head. It felt like she got hit by a truck. She touched her head and felt something wrapped around it. It must have been bandaged. She willed herself to stand up. Her legs were like jelly, she held onto the bedpost to balance herself. She took a slow step forward before taking another then another. Her body had finally gotten used to it again and she walked towards the door. She opened it and a blinding light beat on her eyes.

"What the- Oh! Hey you're awake!" A shrill female voice said.

"Are you feeling okay?" It was a male's voice this time.

Serena's eyes finally adjusted and she saw that it was two Team Flare grunts. She instinctively made a move to grab Greninja's pokeball in her bag but only felt air.

The grunts noticed and the female nodded, "Yeah, we kinda had to take your Pokemon away. Sorry."

"What? Where are they?" Serena asked. Her Pokemon might be in grave danger.

"Don't worry," The male grunt said, "We didn't do anything to them. They're actually quite safe. We'll take you to them later, if you want."

Serena's eyebrows scrunched together, "All right but not to be rude or anything but aren't you going to maybe attack me or something?"

The two grunts looked at each before laughing.

"Attack you? No way. The boss specifically told us to take care of you," said the female grunt, "Oh by the way, my name's Lindsay. This idiot right here is Michael."

"Yeah! Wait. . . I'm not an idiot!" Michael retorted, "But we are here to get you whatever you need. So ask us for anything. Okay how about you ask me for water."

Serena, still very much confused, did as requested, "A-all right, uh, Michael, would you get me a glass of water?"

He winked at her, "Sure thing, I'm on it!"

The red head ran down the hallway and turned right.

Lindsay shook her head, "Sorry. He's excited to finally be doing something. Anyway, I'm assuming you have a fuck load of questions so ask away."

She bit her lip, "Right. Where exactly am I?"

"You are at our boss's house. Our boss being the fearless leader, Lysandre. Actually, that room you were just in? Yeah, that's Lysandre's room."

Wait.

WHAT?

"N-no that can't be," Serena rubbed her temples.

Lindsay chuckled, "Look around you. It sure as hell is Lysandre's home. We're just here to guard the door and wait for you to come out of your coma. We've been here for a long time now, y'know?"

"Just how long have you been here?"

"Let's see, the earthquake happened on a thursday. . ." Lindsay was counting the days using her hands and after a while she responded, "Two weeks and three days."

Serena felt her knees grow weak. Has it been that long already? And an earthquake? What the fuck is going on?

"I can tell that you're confused as hell so I'll tell you the whole story: There was a massive earthquake two weeks ago. Nobody seems to know why it happened but I'm pretty sure that the higher powers of authority don't want to tell us so I'm calling bullshit on that one. Anyway, our boss seems to have taken an interest in you so he told Malva to tell him when you defeat Diantha which you did. Malva sent the message, Lysandre took the helicopter and flew to the Pokemon League but a couple of minutes after that, Malva sent him another message telling us that a huge earthquake just happened and that she didn't see you or Diantha exit the building and that you must still be up on the Hall of Fame. Apparently, all the Elite Four members got out on time so no worries there but worries here," She pointed at Serena, "We've never seen our boss panic like that. He ordered a ground team to look for you. They finally found you under the rubble in a pool of blood. He came down himself to check if you were alive and you are, then he carried you. Yup, he _carried_ you to the helicopter and transported you to his home. Here. Now you're here talking to me. Yay, story over!"

It took quite a while for Serena to process the information given to her. It was all so surreal. Why did Lysandre fly over to the Pokemon League? What use was she to him?

The two ladies heard footsteps coming up the hallway, "Michael's here with a glass of water for Serena!" He handed her the glass and stretched his arms out either side of him, "Welcome back, nothing's changed much since you were out. So what are we talking about?"

"I'm just telling her what happened two weeks ago," Lindsay responded.

Michael grinned, "You must be special to the boss since he changed your bandages every day. He did it today too, this morning. He checks on you all the time to make sure you're alive."

Serena's head started spinning and her lips go dry. She took a sip of her water, "What about Diantha? Is she all right?"

"Yeah, she wasn't as hurt as badly as you so we patched her up whilst she was unconscious and kind of left her there. News reports say that she's doing well," Michael continued, "Hey you know, you're pretty big in the news lately too! 'New Champion missing, whereabouts unknown, Kalos grieving' is what the headlines were last week."

The brunette leaned on the wall, unable to hold herself up, "D-Do they think I'm dead? Do they know I'm here?"

Lindsay rested her head on her hand, "No. Well not yet. Couple more weeks and they will eventually. And no, they don't know where this place is. It's completely safe and secluded. Anyway," The grunt gently took the glass of water from her, "You should probably take a shower and get changed. The boss is probably on his way to check on you again. You'll find a set of clothes in the closet. We'll be here if you need us."

The two grunts helped Serena into the room and closed the door behind her.

She needed to get back. She needed to tell everyone she was okay. They depended on her and she couldn't let them down. Her mother must be really worried. Her friends as well. The professor. . . what did he think? Was he worried about her too? He must be. Fuck! Her life is a mess.

Serena ran to the window and took a look outside. Water. Vast amounts of water. That was all she saw. Just where in Kalos was she?

She needed to get out. She grabbed a small statue nearby and channelled her remaining strength in her right arm. She smacked the window but it didn't break. The material was different from the average glass she knew, it was stronger. Much stronger.

She returned the statue back to where she found it and started to pace, "I need to get out of here. But where am I going to go? This house is surrounded by fucking water. Fuck it, I can just swim to any nearby shore. I'll grab my Pokemon and get the fuck out of here. But where are my Pokemon?"

"Don't you think I won't find you, Serena?"

Fuck.

It was Lysandre.


	6. Since I've Been Loving You

**Hello everyone! Welcome to Chapter 5 of All The Lonely People. I just want to say how wonderful the response has been to the story and it really motivates me to write constantly. **

**So Depersonalization asked: Is the main paring set in stone?**

**It may seem like it could go either way but I think I've already decided on which paring I'm sticking with. That's all I'm going to say about that though.**

**I make it a point to use songs that are relevant to the chapter so yeah there's that. It's kind of like a hint. Give these songs a listen and you might find the connection. Especially with this chapter. **

**Special thanks to AlyceOfHearts, Winterhare and Snugglesthefluffykitten for tuning in. Also, Depersonalization for the constant flow of reviews and The Psychopath for sticking by the Serena/Lysandre pairing, you might like this chapter. I love you all very much. **

**Please tell me how I can improve upon this story. **

**Allons-y!**

* * *

_"Working from seven to eleven every night, _  
_It really makes life a drag, I don't think that's right. _  
_I've really, really been the best of fools, I did what I could. _  
_'Cause I love you, baby, How I love you, darling, How I love you, baby, _  
_How I love you, girl, little girl. _  
_But baby, Since I've Been Loving You. I'm about to lose my worried mind, oh, yeah."_

_Since I've Been Loving You - Led Zeppelin_

* * *

Sycamore slammed the glass down on his desk. He had finished two bottles of whiskey now and he was about to open his third. Out of all the things that could have happened to her, it had to be an earthquake and she just had to be at the highest point of the Pokemon League. He still didn't understand it. Diantha had made it out safely, she only had minor bruises and small cuts. So what happened to Serena? Where was she? She couldn't have just disappeared like that. Not now, not when he had just realised how much she meant to him.

"Why? _Why? WHY?!_" He screamed into his empty office.

His hold on the glass tightened significantly until the glass shattered in his hand. His hand started bleeding profusely but he kept holding on the shard that remained. He stared at his injured hand. Stared and stared. He stood there for the longest time until he heard a knock on the door and Serena's friends entered the room.

Calem ran to him, "Professor! Your - Your hand!"

"We need to get that bandaged," Trevor said, cautiously opening the professor's hand. He removed the bloodied shard from the bleeding hand, "Tierno, Shauna call someone. Here, professor, grip this as tight as you can."

The two young trainers did as instructed and Trevor handed the professor a folded handkerchief. The older man stared at it but didn't do anything, prompting Trevor close the professor's hand around the cloth himself.

"Professor, I don't know what kind of relationship you two have but I sure as hell know she won't be happy seeing you in this state," Calem crossed his arms.

The professor had been acting really strange lately. He closed himself off from the outside world. He never smiled in the two weeks that Serena had gone missing. He looked at the professor, his hair was disheveled, his clothes weren't buttoned properly, the hair on his face had become more prominent and his eyes were missing the life they usually had. It wasn't a surprise to the young trainer. He was used to it already, they visited him everyday for the past two weeks. But just because he was used to it, didn't mean that he liked it. He felt for the man. Calem knew for a fact that he and Serena had been close. The professor always checked up on her during her journey and he was the first one Serena came to when she had a problem she needed help fixing.

"Look, I know you're upset. I get it- "

"NO! You don't get it! You don't know!" Sycamore fell back on the desk and covered his eyes with his unrestricted hand.

Calem sighed, "Moping around in your office won't do any good. We need to do something. We need to get her back from Arceus knows where. We came here today to invite you to join us. We're going to contact Diantha and ask her some questions about the incident. She might be able to shed some light about Serena's whereabouts. We'll patch you up then we're going to leave for the PR Video Studio, if you don't want to come with us then fine."

"We're back," Shauna appeared at the door with one of the professor's assistants, "Please help the professor."

Calem leaned against the wall and watched as the assistant treated the professor's injured hand, "So are you coming or not?"

* * *

Serena glared at the older man in front of her. He was smirking and that infuriated her. She knew he was right. With the amount of resources he has, he would be able to bring her back as soon as she takes even one step outside. But she didn't want to tell him that.

"I think your best plan of action would be to stay here," Lysandre continued.

"Do you think I would give up that easily?" Serena took a step towards him, trying to prove a point.

Lysandre sneered at the brunette, "Are we feeling feisty tonight?" He took a step towards her as well.

"I don't like you," Serena said. She couldn't think of anything else to say so she took another step.

"I'm hurt," He took another one as well.

"You think you're funny don't you?"

Step.

"Maybe."

Step.

"You're not."

Step.

"I'm wounded."

Step.

She was about to respond when she noticed how close they were to each other. Her chest was touching his torso and he leaned his head towards her. Every time she exhaled, her chest would press against him for just a little bit. He waited for her to say something but she didn't have anything else to say. She backed away from him slowly. She felt herself blush and was grateful that it was dark so he couldn't see.

"Why did you take me here? What use am I to you?" She asked.

Lysandre made his way over to the fireplace and lit a match, "It's more of the other way around really. I brought you here to teach you something. To. . . help you in a way."

Serena cocked an eyebrow, "Oh? And what lesson is that?"

"That you don't need to live up to everyone's high expectations," Lysandre answered. He watched the fire burn brightly and decided to sit down on the carpet.

"Well I can certainly try," Serena stood over him with her arms crossed.

Lysandre shook his head, "In doing so, you make other people do the same thing and when they feel like they haven't achieved that, they will never be satisfied. Just look at that dark-haired boy you travel with at times, he's made it his goal to defeat you. He stopped training when you did. What does that tell you?"

Serena's arm fell at her sides. Was he right? Is that how Calem felt?

"No. . . I. . . They believe in me. I can't let them down," She started backing away from him.

The red haired man stood up, "Open your eyes, Serena," He said almost pleadingly.

"Go away. . . I-It's all your fault! I. . . I hate you!" She grabbed her things and ran to the bathroom.

Lysandre tried going after her, to get her to listen and understand but he didn't make it and the door slammed shut in his face. Serena leaned against the door, her legs curled up to her chest. She rested her head on her knee and stared at the floor.

It was only then she realised that she didn't even say thank you.

* * *

"What are we going to do about the professor?" Tierno asked.

The group of four young trainers sat in Diantha's office talking amongst themselves as they waited for Diantha to wrap up her work. The professor declined their earlier invitation to the PR Video Studio opting to stay in his office and finish his bottle of whiskey. Calem really thought he would pull through in the end but his hopes were dashed when the professor yelled at them to get out. He had been a different man ever since they found out that Serena had gone missing. He had taken up drinking just recently and now he depended on it.

Calem sighed heavily, "I don't know anymore, Tierno. I don't know what to do about him but I'm this close to beating his ass for giving up on her that easily."

The group heard the door open and they all stood up. Diantha entered the room and her presence made them all calmer. She radiated a sort of gentle aura and it made them all really comfortable around her.

"Please, sit down," The actress took a seat on her white swivel chair, "I understand that you have some questions regarding Serena's disappearance."

Trevor nodded, "Yes, uh, we would like to ask you about what happened that day. Please start from the beginning of the incident."

"All right," Diantha cleared her throat before noticing the absence of someone who should have been there, "Where is the professor?"

"He's moping about in his office right now. We tried to bring him here, to get him reassured that she's alive. He's given up on her, Diantha," Calem said bitterly.

Diantha shook her head, "I expected more from him. He really cares for her, you know? Every conversation I have with him always ends up going back to her somehow. He's still young and to see him this way makes me incredibly sad."

"Um, just how old is the professor?" Shauna asked.

Diantha chuckled, "Oh he's only 28. I'm considerably older than him being 34."

Tierno grinned widely, "You don't look 34! That's amazing."

"Yes, thank you. Anyway, let's get back on track, I had taken Serena to the Hall of Fame to record her glorious victory. The Hall of Fame was at, basically, the highest point of the Pokemon League and it was mostly an empty room. After we finished recording, the ground started to shake violently. The roof started to collapse as well and since there was nothing to hide under, we had to stay put. I was lucky enough to not get hit by the falling debris but Serena wasn't. A large chunk of rock hit her on the head and she blacked out-"

The trainers all gasped.

"Don't worry, when I checked to see if she was still alive, I was relieved to find her breathing. Then I saw that a pool of blood had gather under her. Finally, the earthquake stopped but I feared for her life. She lost a lot of blood. That's when I heard helicopters. I turned around to see who it was when I blacked out as well. Then I woke up and was somehow patched up. Serena wasn't there anymore and only a pool of blood remained.

Calem stood up, "You blacked out? How did you black out?"

Diantha rested her head on her hand, "I don't know really. . . I don't remember seeing anyone else there. Well, anyway, you don't need to concern yourself with me. Serena is the one in danger."

"Is that all? Trevor asked, "Please try to remember if anything was different or out of place."

"Hmmm. . . Well there was one thing."

* * *

Augustine Sycamore was a prideful man. If he said something, he sure as hell is going to stick with it. So when he declined the invitation to investigate Serena's whereabouts, he immediately wanted to slap himself. Now he's stuck in his office whilst the others actually did something about her situation. Why did he have to let his pride get in the way?

'_What are you doing, Augustine? Get out there and help!' _

He held his head in his hands. He gave up on her already. He didn't even try to help. If she saw the state he was in. . . The professor reached out and grabbed the bottle of whiskey and started pouring the liquid into his glass. That's when it hit him. The words he told her came rushing back into him.

'_I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you. I swear on my life.'_

Fuck it. He threw the glass on the wall and took a large swig of the whiskey directly from the bottle. He laid his head on his desk. It was his fault. He failed her. He wasn't there with her. It was his fault her life is a mess.

The door to his office slammed open and Diantha entered the room. She observed the place and shook her head. She was both very disappointed and sympathetic with the dark haired man. When the young trainers told her it was bad she didn't expect it to be _this_ bad. There was shattered glass on the floor in front of the far right wall and a stain on the carpet. She walked over to him with crossed arms, "Get up, Augustine."

"Hn. . ."

"I swear to Arceus I will pull you right of that fucking chair if you don't get up," It was very rare to hear Diantha swear but when she did Sycamore knew she wasn't playing. He did as he was told but kept his eyes on the ground, not wanting to see the disappointed look on her face.

Diantha nudged him, "Good, now I want you to clean up. Take a shower, brush your teeth, get a change of clothes, and stop drinking. We are going to find Serena."

How? Nobody knows where she is!

"If you don't stop sitting around and blaming yourself, you are not going to change anything. You're going to lose that girl. You say you want to find her, well you know you have to keep hoping. She is out there somewhere and she needs our help. I want you think about that for a minute, Augustine. I'll be downstairs," The actress turned and left taking the lift down.

The professor stood there, tears threatening to fall. He blinked them away. Diantha was right. He couldn't give up on the woman he cared for just like that. If it were him in her situation wouldn't she try to find him too? He was sure that she cared about him the way he cares about her even if it was just a little bit. She wouldn't have been wearing his lab coat constantly if she didn't right? He held on to that thought now somehow comforted by it. He cursed himself. He had been selfish. Of course he wasn't the only one who was upset by all this.

_'Dammit, Augustine! What have you been doing?'_

He practically ran to the bathroom. He took a quick a shower, brushed his teeth, shaved and got a new change of clothes.

"I'm coming, Serena, don't worry. I'll be there."

* * *

It took Serena about half an hour to take a shower and get changed. The clothes that she wore were different now and judging by the size of it, she knew it had to be Lysandre's. Damn him for making her wear this. It was a red sweater that was too big on her. It stopped just above her knees. Her underwear had been the right size though but she didn't want to know how he knew that. They were red as well and it made her wonder why everything had to be fucking red. She hoped to Arceus that when she came out of the bathroom Lysandre wouldn't be in the room. Her prayers were answered and she stepped outside of his room only to be greeted by Lindsay and Michael. She had forgotten that they were by the door.

"Hey, Serena!" Michael said grinning from ear to ear, "Our boss wants to know if you're ready for dinner. He made something."

"Could you,uh, could you repeat that? I don't think I caught that," Serena had to ask just to be sure.

Lindsay smiled, "Yeah you heard right, Lysandre makes his own food. We're the only grunts here, us two."

"Wait, so it's just you two?" Serena felt a glimmer of hope, maybe she could escape after all.

"Yes, but don't even think of escaping because the only way you can get out of here is by air. Unless you wanna become a castaway and your only companion would be a bloodied volleyball named Wilson," Lindsay said completely dashing Serena's hopes.

Well there goes that.

"All right well, I guess I'm ready for dinner then."

The two grunts led her down a series of hallways and pointed out some notable rooms that she may find useful or entertaining. There were some rooms they told her never to go in. Ever. Something about Lysandre not appreciating it and how furious he would be at them.

"Oh Oh!" Michael opened a door to one room, "If we're not by the door and you need us, we'll be in here. This is our room. Nice, huh?"

The room was pretty nice and pretty big too. There was a mini bar, a small fridge, a large flatscreen TV, a sound system but only one bed. Serena looked at Lindsay, "Michael sleeps on the floor. The bed's all mine. Want something to drink?"

Serena shook her head, "Oh, uh, no thanks."

Lindsay called Michael over, who was now rummaging for something in a box nearby, "Come on, Michael. You know how Lysandre is when he gets impatient."

"Yeah, I know, I'm just looking for Serena's communicator. . . Ah, there we go!" Michael pulled out a small device and handed it to Serena, "You put this in your ear and press on this button right here to talk. We won't hear anything otherwise. Go ahead, give it a try."

Serena took the device and placed it in her ear. She pressed on the button, "Hello?"

"Hello to you too! Now don't press on the button and speak," Lindsay instructed.

The brunette removed her finger from the earpiece, "Can you hear me?"

"All right that's good, it's working properly."

"So does Lysandre have one as well?" Serena asked. She didn't want to risk saying anything embarrassing.

Both grunts led her back down the hallway. Michael closed the door behind him, "No. He's the boss so he doesn't get one. You get one because you might get lost. His house is huge!"

Serena nodded, "You can say that again."

They finally found their way to the dining room where two plates had already been set down. There was no sign of Lysandre. He was probably in the kitchen Serena concluded. She heard her two companions leaving behind her, "H-Hey! Aren't you guys going to eat dinner too?"

Michael chuckled, "Nah, we already had ours. We either have dinner before or after the boss does. It's easier that way. Don't worry, he won't hurt you. He's actually a pretty nice guy once you get to know him."

"See ya later, Serena. Come on, Michael, let's fuck shit up," Lindsay dragged a smiling Michael back up the hallway.

Serena stood in the room not knowing what to do. She heard the sizzle of food in the kitchen and she decided that she should go in. Ever since she remembered that she had been incredibly rude to Lysandre, the person who saved her from imminent death, she had wanted to apologise and say thank you. She swallowed hard before pushing the mahogany door open. She found him mixing some vegetables on a frying pan with a towel on his shoulder. His hair wasn't its usually spiky self but it now just ran down his face and it was quite curly too. His curly red hair tickled his shoulders making her wonder if this was the same man. He was wearing an identical sweater and pants but he didn't wear any shoes. He didn't seem to hear her come in.

"L-Lysandre?" Serena stood awkwardly in the kitchen. She was pulling on the sweater and swaying.

He looked at her for a moment and stopped whatever he was doing. She looked absolutely ravishing in his clothes. Her hair was still damp from her shower and flowed just above her behind. He reminded himself to get her clothes that actually fit her.

The red haired man cleared his throat, "Do you need anything?" He turned off the stove.

"I just want to thahahannnn. . ." Serena couldn't bring herself to say it. She was nervous. Very nervous. Especially under his gaze.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand," Lysandre feigned a confused look. He knew exactly what she wanted to say.

She cursed him. Why did he have to make this harder than it already is?

"I wanted to say thank you. . ." She said the last two words as a whisper, '_Just say it, Serena! Come on!'_

Lysandre shrugged, "Do you want to practise outside or. . .?"

"THANK YOU! There I said it! Thank you for saving my life!" Serena crossed her arms and turned away from him.

Lysandre laughed and Serena blushed madly. He was making fun of her. She knew it.

"Oh Serena," He walked towards her, gathered her hair and placed it on one shoulder to reveal the other. He kissed her right shoulder softly and whispered in her ear with a sultry voice, "You are very welcome."

Her arms fell to her sides and her already red face turned even redder. She swallowed hard. She refused to face him still. Serena's head was spinning. This man that she thought she hated surprised her more and more as the minutes went by. She didn't know if she liked it or if she was repulsed by it. She reminded herself that this man is out to bring destruction to Kalos. He was the enemy and she needed to stop him.

"Dinner's ready," Lysandre pushed the door open with his back and laid the food down the table.

He sat down the table and Serena followed idly. She decided to ask him questions about Team Flare and gather up as much information as she could.

"So, uh, Lysandre, how is Team Flare?" She took a bite out of the steak that he had prepared and tried her best not to wolf the rest down. He was really good at cooking._ Really_ good.

"Well we're not really doing anything at the moment. My - _Our _highest priority was you but now we have you so we don't really have much to do nowadays."

Serena cocked an eyebrow, "What about preserving the world's beauty? Eliminating everyone outside of Team Flare?"

Lysandre was silent for a moment. He really didn't know what to say. Lately he had been focusing his attention on Serena but now that she's here, there was only one thing left to do and that's activate the machine. He questioned that plan more and more each day. He wanted to preserve the world's beauty, yes, but was that the best course of action? It was the only one that made sense to him. He gave her the best excuse he could muster, "Well, we are currently taking a break. We have had a great year and I decided to give everyone some time to rest."

The brunette somehow felt he was lying but didn't press further. The silence surrounding them had become deafening and it bothered her greatly. He glanced at Lysandre to see that he had been feeling the same way. They were both uncomfortable with the awkward silence that hung around them and they knew that they both had to break it somehow.

"So how old are you?" They asked at the same time.

"You first," They did it again.

"20"

"28"

They both said their ages at the same time and looked at each other. Serena had been greeted with another surprise. He wasn't that older than her at all. In fact, he and the professor were the same age. At the thought of the professor, Serena's eyes widened and she remembered the lab coat that he had left her. She couldn't recall if she saw it in the closet she had gotten these clothes from. She decided to ask Lysandre.

"Do you maybe know where my lab coat is?" She bit her lip.

The memory of seeing Sycamore's lab coat on her the day he talked to her at Dendemille Town flashed in his mind. He had it indeed. It was in the storage room in the basement. He wasn't about to give it to her though. Lysandre told himself that it was for the best. He caught wind from one of his loyal grunts that he had given up on her and frequented the liquor store for alcohol. He didn't want her to know about that. So he decided to lie, "No, it must have been disposed of when we were bandaging you up."

Serena looked down on the floor, "Oh. . ."

Lysandre felt a pang of guilt hit him but he convinced himself that she would be better off without the man. He gave up on her right away. Became a drunk and locked himself in the office. Not even making an effort to go and look for the woman he presumably cared about. He expected more from his "old friend".

He made a vow to himself, he would help Serena carry the weight on her shoulders. When all else abandoned her, he would stay right by her side. Even if it killed him.


	7. Comfortably Numb

**Welcome to Chapter 6 of All The Lonely People! A lot of things happened last chapter, huh? It seems like you guys are really digging the Serena/Lysandre pairing, well truth be told, going into this fanfic, I didn't really know which pairing I would go through with but I now have a clear idea and hopefully it'll break your hearts into a million pieces.**

**Augustine is really taking a hit. Lots of Serena/Lysandre shippers here.**

**This chapter will be all about Serena and Lysandre so. . . sorry Sycamore fans!**

**Can I ask you guys a question? Am I going too fast with this? Should I slow down? Please tell me, I'd like to know your opinions and make your reading experience better.**

**I hope you guys have taken my suggestion regarding listening to the songs used in the fic. It's quite all right if you don't though. **

**Special thanks to all of you guys. Thank you for tuning in. It really means a lot to me. **

**Reviews are always welcome. Please tell me how I can improve upon this story.**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

_"Hello,  
Is there anybody in there?  
Just nod if you can hear me  
Is there anyone at home?  
Come on now  
I hear you're feeling down  
I can ease your pain  
And get you on your feet again  
Relax  
I'll need some information first  
Just the basic facts  
Can you show me where it hurts?"_

_Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd_

* * *

Serena climbed in bed still in Lysandre's sweater. Dinner had been an especially awkward one. After every question she asked it was always followed by silence. She was glad when it was over. They both cleaned up the dirty dishes and Lysandre led her back to his room. She finally found a sweet spot and started dozing off when she felt movement behind her. Lysandre had climbed in to bed with her and to make matters worse, he had taken his shirt and pants off. She sat up immediately and covered her eyes with a pillow.

He looked at her like she was crazy, "What? What's the matter?"

"What do you mean 'what's the matter'? Why are you here?" Serena hid behind the pillow not wanting to look at him.

"Well, this is _my _house," He said as a matter-of-factly, "And is this not _my_ room?"

He got her there.

Serena lowered the pillow, "D-Don't you have a guest room? Can't I sleep there?"

Lysandre sat up and the red blanket that covered his lower half slid down a couple of centimetres. Serena brought back the pillow in front of her face as quickly as she could. The red-haired man stood up and turned on the lamp. She heard his clothing rustle around. She still covered her face with the pillow when he stood in front of her now with pants on but still no shirt.

"Relax, I am not naked," Lysandre said. He watched her peek from the side of the pillow and slowly lower it. He tried to meet her eyes but she averted his gaze, "Unfortunately, there are no guest rooms here, only one, and the two grunts I hired are using it."

Serena scoffed, "No, now _that_ is complete and utter bullshit. How can you have this castle of a house and have only one guest room?"

Lysandre shrugged, "I do not really have much guests and I am not married so I don't see the need to have more than one guest room. Besides, I need to keep an eye on you."

"Well you don't need to worry about me escaping because apparently the only way to get out of here is by air," She rested the pillow over her legs and sighed, "I guess I'll just sleep on the floor then."

Lysandre shook his head, there was no way in hell was he ever going to let her sleep on the floor, "Absolutely not. You are to sleep on the bed."

"Where are you going to sleep then?"

"On the bed as well. I promise I won't do anything."

Serena considered it for a while but she still didn't trust him completely, ". . . No."

"I suppose we've reached an impasse."

The brunette crossed her arms, "I suppose we have."

The two had a staring contest. Both of them not willing to lose. Minutes passed and Lysandre gave in, "All right. . . I'll sleep on the floor."

He grabbed one pillow from the bed and another blanket from his closet. He laid down the sheet on the hardwood floor beside the bed and threw the pillow down. Meanwhile, Serena had settled in on the large comfortable bed. She pulled the comforter over her body and closed her eyes. She started falling asleep but was disturbed once again when she heard the rustling of Lysandre on the floor. She peeked down to where he was and saw that he was tossing and turning. She laid back down on her back. She stared at the ceiling feeling very guilty of what she made him do. She just didn't trust him but she was very grateful that he didn't push her into giving in.

"Thank you, Lysandre," Serena said softly. She hoped he could hear her.

Lysandre stopped moving, startled when she suddenly spoke, "It's my pleasure, love."

* * *

Lindsay and Michael stood at the foot of the bed and looked at each other. Lindsay silently nodded to Michael and the grunt knew exactly what it meant. He raised his hands to his ears, "Okay, I'm ready."

Lindsay covered her left ear with her free hand and pressed the button on the air horn. The two grunts cringed and watched as Serena bolted upright upon hearing the incredibly loud noise.

"I'm awake!" She shouted. Her vision adjusted to the brightness in the room, "Huh? What?"

"Morning, sleepy head," Michael said with a smile.

"Lysandre told us to take you to your Pokemon," Lindsay lowered her arm.

Serena suddenly became alert, "You will?"

The female grunt nodded, "Yep. As soon as you've finished whatever shit you have to do in the morning."

"All right. Where is he? Lysandre I mean," Serena asked.

Michael answered this time, "He's in his study. Don't exactly know what he does in there but it keeps him busy. You wanna go see him after?"

Serena shook her head immediately, "No no, I was just asking."

"Well, we'll be outside if you need us."

Both grunts left the room and Serena jumped out of bed. She was excited to see her Pokemon and she knew they would be too. She made the bed and went to the closet. She opened it and groaned.

'_Guess I have to wear one of his again.'_

She pulled out a simple white shirt and got some underwear from the drawer. It still baffled her that he had gotten her underwear but no apparel that fit her. Serena quickly took a shower and brushed her teeth. She decided to just leave her hair as it is, freely flowing down her back. She placed the communicator back in her ear came out of the room. As soon as she closed the door she bumped into someone. She nearly fell over but the person caught her by her waist. She looked to see that it was Lysandre. He was wearing a black sweater now and pants. His hair still hung down his face. He helped her find her balance when he felt his pants tighten after noticing that she had been wearing one of his clothes again.

"I'm sorry," He began, he tried his best not to sound flustered, "I decided to take you to your Pokemon myself and give Michael and Lindsay a break."

Serena sighed, "It's all right. No harm done."

Lysandre nodded then turned and walked down the hallway. She followed him closely, "Um, Lysandre?"

He looked back at her, "Yes?"

"Can I get clothes that are my size?" She stopped walking.

He heard her footsteps stop and he followed suit, "I have been thinking about that. I just don't know what size you are."

"Really?" She asked sardonically, "Then how the hell do you know what the size of my underwear is?"

"Lucky guess," He turned and walked forward again.

She murmured, "Lucky guess my ass," before following him.

He chuckled silently to himself. He was absolutely enjoying her company. It was refreshing to have someone else here with him. Being alone in an incredibly large house always left him feeling lonely. He has always been alone, never had any real relationships. Most of the time they only wanted a physical relationship. He once even dated someone who was only after his money. He wasn't lying about her underwear though, he just actually took a guess.

It was a while before she spoke again, "What do you aim to achieve by bringing me here?"

Lysandre looked back at her once more and saw that she had become serious, "Well, your absence can most likely make them believe in no-one but themselves." He saw her biting her lip, out of habit most likely. When it seemed like she wasn't going to say anything else, he continued walking.

They finally made it to their destination. Lysandre pulled the key from his pocket and unlocked the double doors that separated Serena from her beloved companions. They entered the pitch black room and Lysandre flipped the switch on. Serena felt her breath get taken away. The "room" they entered was gigantic. It had trees, shrubs, ponds, streams and even a lake. A fucking lake. Is this why his house was so huge? In the middle of it all was a clearing. She looked around but she saw no sign of her Pokemon. She looked at him and waited for an answer.

"Truth is, I have your Pokemon right here," Lysandre took out four pokeballs from his pocket and handed them to her, "Here's your bag too."

She smiled widely and called all her Pokemon out. They all greeted her gleefully. It had been too long since they last saw each other. Her Blastoise started sobbing and hugged her. She laughed and hugged it back, "It's nice to see you too."

Lysandre watched their exchange with a small smile on his face. It was a truly beautiful sight to see her interact with her Pokemon. He crossed his arms, "This is where my Pokemon and I usually sit around. You and your Pokemon can use it too if you wish."

"Really? You're not bullshitting me right now?" Serena asked, her smile was still plastered on her face and it made his small smile grow.

"I promise I'm not bullshitting you right now," He replied.

She turned back to her Pokemon, "Say thank you to Lysandre everyone."

Her four Pokemon nodded and showed their appreciation in their own ways. Blastoise sprayed him with water, Greninja licked his face, Blaziken patted his head and Lucario kicked him in a very sensitive area of his. The wind got knocked out of him and he fell back on the ground. He heard Serena laugh whilst she praised her Pokemon.

"You guys are the best," She cooed, "I love guys so much."

Oh good. It's nice to see love get spread around. He finally recovered after a few minutes to see that she sat down in front of a nearby stream alone. He limped his way over to her and sat down beside her.

"Are you feeling better?" The brunette asked.

"Please thank your Lucario for that," Lysandre said sarcastically.

Serena laughed once again, "It's just trying to say thank you."

Lysandre pouted, "Well that's a very nice way to do it."

"Well you did battle us you know. Made all my Pokemon faint. . ." Serena was reminded once again that he was the enemy. She shouldn't be sitting here right now chatting with him. She hated him. She was repulsed by him. It was his fault. It was all his fault she was here. His fault that she was wearing his shirt. His fault that everyone back home was worrying about her. His fault that she disappointed the others. His fault that people expected so much from her.

'_He saved your life, Serena.' _The voice in her head told her.

What if that voice was right? Was it their fault? Her friends and everyone in Kalos? Were _they_ the root of her problems? She shook her head. No. They just believed in her. They just wanted to be saved. From Lysandre. She saw absolutely no harm in placing their faith in someone.

Lysandre watched Serena's expression change rapidly. It looked like she was fighting an internal battle. The memory of the first battle that they had clawed its way back into his mind. He hated doing that to her. To see her utterly destroyed. He had no choice. He had to put up a facade to mask his true intentions for her.

'_I do not take pride in doing this but I must do this for the world. To keep it beautiful.' _He had said.

By world he meant her. He was doing it for her. He wanted her to act the same as she had. He didn't want her to change because other people had burdened her with their expectations for her. To keep _her_ beautiful. And he didn't mean on the outside. His main goal was to get her to understand the harm that their beliefs are causing her. He had seen it happen before and he certainly didn't want it happening to her.

"Serena. . . " He started but he didn't know what else to say. He made a move to comfort her but she avoided his touch. Should he tell her? Should he tell her that what he did was for her benefit? No. Not yet. He pleaded with her, "Please let me help you. You can't keep pushing people away."

She shook her head, "I don't want your help. You are the enemy."

Lysandre flinched. He was hurt deep inside. He didn't want to admit it, but he was hurt, "It may seem so but if you just let me-"

"_No,"_ She said coldly. Serena stood up and walked briskly to the exit. She didn't want to see him nor talk to him anymore. She was about to make it out into the hallway when she felt him pull her back and wrap his arms tightly around her torso from behind to stop her from moving. He rested his head on her shoulder and pleaded with her once again.

"Please, Serena, please. Open your eyes."

His tone made her heart melt. She felt for him. She wanted to believe him but she just couldn't. Her resolve was strong. She forcibly removed his arms from her and continued walking away from him. She walked faster this time. Serena heard him run after her and she quickened her pace. He finally managed to grab her hand and made her face him. The two hadn't noticed that they stopped right in front of Michael and Lindsay's room where both grunts left the door open. The two grunts were eating chips from a bowl with Michael holding the salsa. They both noticed their boss and Serena out in their doorway and watched silently both unsure if they should intervene or leave them be.

Serena glared at Lysandre, "Why? Why are you doing this to me?"

Lysandre didn't know what to say so he was silent.

"Why?" Serena repeated. This time she said it louder.

Silence.

"Answer me!"

"Because I care about you! Okay? I care about you very much! I worry about you constantly! You are changing who you are to meet other people's standards and look at what that is doing to you! I don't want you to feel that way about yourself. I care about you more than you could ever know," Lysandre was panting. He didn't mean to blurt it out yet but it had become overwhelming. The feeling was bubbling inside him.

Serena's eyes were wide. She didn't know what to think. The enemy - no - Lysandre cared about her that much? She turned and ran away from him. She didn't have a destination in mind but she just wanted to be alone for a while.

Lysandre sighed, "Now look at what you've done. . ." He said to himself. He finally noticed his two loyal grunts watching him with their mouths hanging open. They looked away quickly and pretended to busy themselves something. Lysandre just shook his head and made his way to his room.

When he finally left, Lindsay and Michael looked at each other before smiling to each other. Things had just gotten even more interesting. They high fived before they started devising a plan.

Serena slipped into the nearest room she could find. Her heart was leaping and she felt a cold sweat run down her back. What the hell was that? What the fuck just happened there? Did Lysandre really feel that way about her? But why? She looked around the room and saw that it was completely different from the rest of the house. There were no Team Flare symbols, it wasn't even painted red. It was just an ordinary room. She saw some framed photos on top of a dresser that caught her attention. She picked one up and stared at the young boy smiling widely. He had red hair just like Lysandre and Serena had to wonder if that was him as a child. Serena flopped down on the bed, photograph in hand, and drifted off into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, Lysandre was pacing in his room. He fucked it up. He fucked everything up. He cursed at himself repeatedly. What had he just done? He ruined their already strained relationship. He decided to look for her. Maybe he could still fix things. He pondered on the thought that maybe she went to Michael and Lindsay but if she had, the two grunts would have told him about it. He left his room and opened the door to every room he would come across. What if she had found his old room? He ran to where he thought she was and lo and behold she was there sleeping on his old bed. His heart raced. He should have been more careful and locked this room but he had let his guard down. Lysandre picked her up, careful not to wake her from her slumber. He lifted her off the bed when he heard the breaking of glass and he looked down. Had she been carrying one of his old photographs? She stirred for a bit before she grasped his sweater. He heard her mumble incoherently.

He sighed, "I'm sorry, Serena."

To his surprise, she replied, "It's not your fault. . ."

He wondered if she was talking to him directly. Probably not.

Lysandre ignored the broken picture frame on the ground and carried Serena to his room. He removed her bag cautiously and laid her down on the bed slowly but she didn't let go of his sweater. He fell on the bed beside her and felt her legs wrap around his lower half. He swallowed hard. Now Arceus was just toying with him. He made a move to slip out from under her grasp but she held on even tighter.

"Stay. . ." She whispered.

Lysandre's eyes widened. Did she just say that? He looked at her. She was sleeping. His body softened and he decided to stay put seeing as she didn't want him to leave. He felt her leg caress his sensitive area and he groaned. His body stiffened once again. It was going to be hard to fall asleep. He watched the rise and fall of her chest as she slept soundly. He smiled to himself and he finally relaxed.

'_I hope this never ends,' _He thought.

It was a nice feeling to have somebody with him. He had always been alone. Lonely. . . that's what his life was. He stared at the ceiling now feeling content with where he was.

She was mumbling something again but this time he caught his name, "Lysandre. . ."

Was she dreaming about him?

The thought made his heart soar. The smile on his face widened. He kissed her forehead softly and let sleep overcome him.

* * *

Serena tightened her hold on her pillow. It was surprisingly warm but she liked it. She adjusted her leg on the lower half of her pillow when she hit something that was. . . hard? She went over it again and again with her leg when she heard a deep strained voice.

"Serena. . . you - you're going to drive me insane. . ."

She yelped and fell off the bed, she landed on her behind. She slapped her forehead. She felt herself blush furiously and stood up, her back facing Lysandre.

Lysandre felt himself blush as well and grabbed the pillow to cover his arousal, "I'm sorry. . ."

Serena cleared her throat, "W-Why were you in bed with me?"

"Long story," Lysandre began, "After the. . . well, you know, I decided to look for you to resolve things and found you in my, uh, old room - "

Serena turned around, "I knew that was your old room!"

"R-Right, then I saw that you were sleeping and brought you here. I was going to light the fireplace but you wouldn't let go of my sweater so I fell on the bed and you asked me to stay - "

"Wait, wait, I asked you to stay with me?" She asked. She didn't remember saying anything.

Lysandre nodded, "Yes. I tried to leave but you wouldn't let me so I had no choice but to stay. Don't worry, I didn't do anything to you. I swear, Arceus can damn me to hell for an eternity if I am lying to you."

Serena believed him. He didn't seem like the type of man to do something as inhumane as taking advantage of someone. She decided to apologise to him, "I-I'm sorry, Lysandre."

"No no, there is nothing you need to be sorry for. Absolutely nothing," He climbed off the bed still covering his lower area, "Now, if - if you'll excuse me. . ."

He entered the bathroom and threw the pillow out before shutting the door. Serena decided to make the bed and ready her things for the day. She found her bag hanging on the bed post and checked to see if her Pokemon were still there. When she found exactly where she placed them, she smiled to herself. Maybe Lysandre wasn't such of an asshole as she thought. The smile left her face and she sighed. Maybe she should give him a chance. Accept the help that he is giving. What harm could that possibly bring her?

She heard the bathroom door open and she decided to tell Lysandre the news. She was taken aback when she saw him, dripping wet with only a towel to cover him. Water was sliding down his chest and his hair was slicked back. Serena felt her face heat up and she stared at the floor.

"Sorry, I forgot to get some clothes," He opened his closet and grabbed a plain black shirt, pants and underwear. He went back into the bathroom.

'_Arceus, help me,' _Serena thought to herself.

Truth be told, he was lankier than what she expected. She preferred men who weren't too muscly. Abs creeped her out a bit. It was like someone glued spam onto a person's torso. She wasn't saying that they were ugly, it's just, she didn't like too much muscle. Wait. . . what was she saying? She shook the thoughts out of her head.

"I am not attracted to Lysandre. I am not attracted to Lysandre," She repeated over and over.

"Are you calling me, love?" Lysandre asked. He was fully clothed now.

'_Shit.'_

"I was just talking to myself," Serena replied. She swallowed and gathered her wits, "L-Lysandre, I, uh, I've decided to give you a chance."

Lysandre couldn't believe his ears. Had she finally realised the harm that her "friends" were causing? Was she finally going to listen to him?

"I've been feeling like shit for a long time now and maybe being away from them could help me," Serena continued.

Lysandre walked over to her. He stood in front of her and stared into her eyes.

"U-uh. . ." The brunette stood there, unsure of what to do.

He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, "Thank you, Serena."

She stared into his sky blue eyes and felt herself drown in them. They were utterly beautiful. She leaned in closer and he followed her. They both closed their eyes and felt the tips of their noses touch when the door slammed open. The two jumped away from each other, both blushing.

Lysandre watched Serena run to the bathroom.

"Sir! We have a problem!" It was Michael. Lindsay wasn't far behind him and she smacked him in the head.

"Michael, you fucking idiot," Lindsay said.

Michael rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry, sorry. I didn't know."

Their boss sighed, "What is it?"

"We have some reports that Professor Sycamore has been frequenting our base in Lumiose City gathering information," Lindsay handed the red-haired man the report, "And they tell us that he's gathered a lot."

Lysandre nodded. His "old friend" had been very very annoying lately, "Throw him off. Feed him wrong information. No-one must know that she is here. Now, go, tell the rest."

The two grunts nodded and Lysandre closed the door. He was not going to have Serena taken away from him. Not now, not when he finally had a chance with her and he was definitely not going to hand her over to Sycamore.

_'I'd rather be dead than see her with someone like him,'_ He thought.

Serena came out of the bathroom moments later with one of his green sweaters. He was reminded to get her some clothes that were her size. He took his Holo Caster out from his pocket and sent Michael and Lindsay a message. He told them to get some clothes from the boutique at Lumiose City and told them to use his money from the vault at the base. Lysandre gave them instructions on how to open it and told them that if they mention how to open the vault to the others he would hunt them down personally.

"Just guess her size. That is all," He sent the message and slipped the Holo Caster back into his pocket.

Serena chuckled, "Good, you remembered."

"As much as I like seeing you in my clothes, I think it would only be right to get you your own," He said.

"Don't you have to go to work or something?" She asked. It was a genuine question. Being the head of an organisation, she imagined that he would be busy 24/7 yet he was here, talking to her.

Lysandre smiled, "Well, it's like I said, we haven't much to do really. Come, I'm going to make breakfast."

"Hey, I know!" An idea popped into Serena's head, "Do you want to go swimming?"

The tall man shot her a puzzled look, "Swimming?"

Serena nodded, "Yeah, you know float around in the water. Enjoy the sun and shit like that. I figured that since we were surrounded by a vast expanse of water, it would be fun to get in it once in a while. Oh and don't worry, I'm not going to try to escape. I've already decided to stay and accept your help remember?"

Lysandre had to admit. He liked the thought of just relaxing for the day. He actually hadn't planned anything today so it might be good to get out even for just a bit. He trusted her to not leave him and he knew that even if she used surf, her Pokemon would be exhausted before she could even see land.

He nodded, "All right. What shall we do then?"

"How about we both make some food and we'll go out there picnic style," Serena replied.

"Deal."

The two walked down the hallway and shortly found their way to the kitchen. Lysandre started making a few light snacks and Serena helped him. They worked quickly but silently and soon they were in Lysandre's front door. Serena was excited to finally get some fresh air. She watched as Lysandre punched in a couple of numbers on the pad and watched as the door opened. As much as she loved being indoors, the feel of the sun on her skin made her sigh contently. Lysandre left their snacks under a nearby tree and grabbed Serena's hand.

"Come," Lysandre led her to the shore, "When I was little, my parents would always bring me out here and we would collect sea shells together."

He bent down and picked up a small shut in shell. It looked ordinary to Serena but Lysandre thought otherwise, "This shell may seem plain to you but when you open it, it reveals just how beautiful it is. Each one is different. Each have their own special traits that make up who they are."

He broke it open and showed the majestic colours that reside in the shell. It shone in the sun and Serena smiled. Lysandre handed it to her, "Here, you can have it."

She took it from his hand and walked over to where their snacks were. She carefully placed it where she could easily find it. She grabbed the ends of Lysandre's sweater and puled it over her head. She then only stood in her underwear and Lysandre drew in a sharp breath.

"Take your shirt and shoes off," Serena instructed.

Lysandre's head was spinning, "W-What?"

Serena chuckled, "How are you supposed to swim if those clothes are weighing you down? Do you want to drown?"

"A-All right," He did as he was told and allowed Serena to lead him into the water.

He didn't know what to do so he just stood there. She laughed and splashed some water at his face. He gasped, surprised by her attack. He smiled and started splashing some water at her. She started dodging his splashes and run as fast as she could in the water. Lysandre followed suit and finally managed to grab her arm. He pulled her close to him and they both stopped laughing. They stared into each other's eyes and Lysandre felt himself leaning forward again. She did the same but moved her head to the side so that his lips could only make contact with her cheek.

"I-I appreciate you doing this for me, Lysandre. Perhaps I misjudged you," She started. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

They stood like that for what seemed like hours before Serena made her way back to the shore.

'_Maybe this isn't so bad after all.'_


	8. Fool On The Hill

**Hello everyone! Welcome to All The Lonely People! I have to say, the feedback that I've been receiving so far is absolutely amazing. Your positive responses really motivate me to do longer chapters. I'd like to apologise for the amount of typos and errors by the way. I'll try to be more careful this time.**

**Last chapter was incredibly long plus it ended on a happy note. You guys are really digging the Serena/Lysandre pairing. Sycamore isn't though.**

**This chapter, I decided to give Lysandre a bit of a back story, so I hope you guys like that. **

**Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing and tuning in. It's nice to see the story doing well. I will try my absolute best to keep updating regularly so yeah thank you all for your patience. School has gripped me with its iron claws. I apologise for the really late update. I'm incredibly sorry please forgive me. I hope you guys still look forward to this story and this chapter.**

**Reviews are always appreciated. Please tell me how I can improve upon this story. **

**Without further gilding the lily and with no more ado, I give to you Chapter 7.**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

_"Day after day, alone on the hill  
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still  
But nobody wants to know him  
They can see that he's just a fool  
As he never gives an answer  
But the fool on the hill  
Sees the sun going down  
And the eyes in his head  
See the world spinning around."_

_Fool On The Hill - The Beatles_

* * *

_'This is bad.'_

Serena stared at her reflection in the mirror. She swallowed hard. She was slipping, almost letting herself believe in Lysandre but she did it. Her plan - she actually made it work. It was incredibly easy to convince Lysandre that she was going to "open her eyes" or whatever bullshit he was spouting. She didn't believe him and she didn't trust him. He was still, to her eyes, the enemy of Kalos. What kind of a Champion lets their adversary get away with whatever scheme they're planning? She wasn't about to let everyone down. But was she doing the right thing? Of course she was. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

'_Lysandre just wants to help you!'_

It was back. The voice in her head. Serena shook her head as if to shake the thought away. He's wrong. He's wrong about everything.

_'He's manipulating you, Serena. He's lying! He doesn't really care, don't let him pull you in!'_

Another voice pushed its way into her mind. Her head was throbbing. She didn't know what to believe in anymore. He seemed so. . . sincere, so caring and so _willing_ to carry the weight on her shoulders. She held the shell he gave her in her hand.

'_It's a trick. He's deceiving you! He's trying to get you to abandon those who actually care for you," _The voice hissed.

The other voice came, _'No! Just give him a real chance. . . he cares about you! He said it himself!'_

"SHUT UP!" She couldn't take it anymore. The two voices in her head battled each other.

The knock on the door brought her back into reality, "Serena? Is everything all right?" Lysandre asked.

Serena massaged her temples and slipped the shell back into her bag, "Y-Yes, it's just Michael and Lindsay being annoying through the communicator."

She composed herself before placing the well hidden mask back on her face.

_'It's time to continue this charade and get it over with before I lose my mind,' _She thought as she left the bathroom to face another day of deception.

Lysandre chuckled, "Should I tell them to stop?"

"No no. We're just having good fun," She replied with a smile on her face. She was getting really good at this.

"All right well. . ." Lysandre opened the closet and pulled out new sets of clothes, "When you were sleeping, those two idiots finally arrived and dropped these off. Thought maybe you would want to change out of that sweater now."

Serena giggled, "What if I like being in your clothes?" Her mouth felt bitter as soon as the words left her mouth.

"Oh?" Lysandre cocked an eyebrow, "Do you now?"

After their little swimming break three days ago, he and Serena engaged in flirting with each other. Michael and Lindsay were gone for those three days because of the mission he gave them which allowed him to have three days alone with Serena. They became open to each other more, she would flirt with him and he would flirt back but then sometimes she asked a lot of questions. From things like the resources Team Flare has to which regions of Kalos they controlled. He didn't think much of them, maybe she was just curious. He had to admit that it was kind of suspicious how she changed her mind quickly but he didn't complain. She was finally happy here. That was all he really wanted. Her happiness.

"Nope," She replied jokingly.

The clothes that he got her were absolutely gorgeous and not to mention expensive. She grabbed the black trench coat dress on top of the pile and gaped at it. It was worth more than she could even imagine. Could she even wear this? She's just going to stay here in his home anyway.

"Lysandre, I appreciate you getting these clothes for me but these are too nice to wear here at home," She saw the smile on his face slowly fade, "O-Oh but I guess I can wear it because well I mean clothes are made for wearing."

"You don't have to wear them if you don't want to. It's all right, we can save them for when there's a special occasion."

"How long am I going to be kept here in your home, Lysandre?" She asked. If he was talking about special occasions then just how long is he planning to keep her here?

The red-haired man snapped his head towards her then looked away, "Perhaps until they have accepted your absence and moved on."

He sighed, he honestly didn't want her to leave. He wanted her to stay. . . with him. Is that so wrong? He looked at her, she seemed to be thinking hard about something. He started placing the clothes back in the closet but she grabbed a few articles and pulled the sweater she was wearing over her head. Lysandre was startled but he turned around and covered his eyes. After a few minutes, she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, not bad," She said as she spun in front of the mirror in the bathroom.

Serena wore a form fitting white sleeveless turtleneck shirt, black pants, brown laced boots and a navy blue felt hat with a gold star pin. Her bag hung on her shoulder as it always has. He smiled at her as he admired how fitting the clothes looked on her. A thought crossed his mind and he considered letting her go outside every once in a while. Maybe go to some islands he could fly her to. He considered it for a while but decided against it. He just wanted to be one hundred percent sure that she would never leave him behind without so much as a word.

Her soft lips making contact with his cheek made him snap out of his thoughts, "Thank you for being considerate, Lysandre."

The tall man smiled and kissed the back of her hand, "It's always a pleasure, love. Oh Serena," He suddenly remembered that he had to go to Lumiose City to discuss something with Xerosic, "I cannot accompany you today. I have business that I need to attend to."

Serena tried her best to look disappointed, "Oh. . . well, take care, Lysandre."

"Don't worry, I'll be home before you know it," He smiled at her suddenly having something to look forward to.

* * *

"So what do you guys do for fun?" Serena asked. When Lysandre left hours ago, she had been thinking her plan over and over in her head. Once she decided she was done, she had nothing else to do so she decided to come to Michael and Lindsay in hopes for finding something entertaining to do.

Lindsay smirked, "I'm glad you asked. Michael get the shit."

"Shit?" Michael repeated, "What shit?"

"You know, the one that we've been hiding from Lysandre. That shit," Lindsay replied. From the tone of her voice she sounded exasperated.

A flicker of recognition flashed across Michael's face, "Oooh, _that_ shit."

The female grunt sighed, "Yes _that_ shit. Go get it."

Michael went to the back of the room and bent down to grab something from under the bed. When he straightened up, he brought with him a bag. He tossed it to Lindsay who caught effortlessly.

She zipped the bag open and took out a photo album. She held it up, "Behold, Lysandre's photos from ages 1-16."

Serena almost fainted. How the hell did these two manage to get these photographs? She suddenly felt giddy.

Lindsay sat down on the floor and gestured for Michael and Serena to follow. The two complied and sat down beside her and across her. They formed a triangle. Lindsay placed the album in the middle of their triangle.

"I'm guessing you wanna know how we got a hold of this, eh Serena?" Michael asked.

Serena nodded, "Yeah would you mind explaining to me how you got this album?"

Lindsay and Michael looked at each other before nodding. Lindsay flipped the cover open, "Well the first time we got here, right about two months ago, we were exploring this house which was a lot bigger back then. More guest rooms. Anyway, it was in late into the night and our boss was sleeping - "

"We were like assassins!" Michael said with a large grin.

Lindsay glared at the young man before turning back to Serena, "We were snooping around and we somehow got into his parents' room. That's where we found this album sitting on top of a dresser."

"Hold on, his parents' room?" Serena was curious as to know why he didn't tell her about his parents, "Are they alive? Where are they?"

Michael's expression turned blue, "That's the thing. We think they died long ago."

"Dead? But how?" Serena pressed on.

"Well, Lindsay and I did some intense research and we found an article that kind of explains things. Hold on, I think we still have it," Michael reached into the bag and fumbled around for a bit until he finally found a carefully folded newspaper article, "Read this."

Michael handed Serena the folded up piece of paper,

_SUICIDE OF BUSINESS MAGNATE ROCKS KALOS_

_17 YEAR OLD SON TO TAKE OVER COMPANY_

There was a photo of a young man with long curly red hair standing in front of two graves. Was that. . . Lysandre? More importantly, were those his parents' graves?

Beside the photo, on the right, was one of an older looking man with paler red hair. Serena had to wonder if that was Lysandre's father.

As if Lindsay had read her thoughts, she answered the question in her head, "Yes, that is Lysandre, if the red hair wasn't enough evidence for you, yes those two are his parents' graves and yes that is his father,"

"Why did his father take his own life?" Serena asked.

"We don't know really. No-one does. This article doesn't explain why he did it only how he did it. If you wanna know, maybe you should ask Lysandre but he probably doesn't want to talk about that," Michael gave her a sad smile.

Lindsay crossed her arms, "He changed the name of his family's company and made the Holo Caster. We respect him a lot for that."

"I-I had no idea. . ." Serena felt her heart drop and she had to ask herself one more time if tricking him into believing she actually wanted his help was the right thing to do.

The female grunt scoffed, "Yeah why would you when Kalos is only telling you about the goal he can't even bring himself to do."

Serena couldn't believe it. She just couldn't. At least she didn't want to believe it. She didn't trust him. His goal was to keep Kalos beautiful and he would go to any lengths to achieve that. Isn't that why he made Team Flare in the first place? She shook her head. She can't waver now.

_'I can't let him slip past me. Tragic past or not, he must be stopped,' _She thought to herself.

"He really cares about your welfare, you know," Michael said, his expression was serious now, "Lindsay and I have been in Team Flare for years now and in all those years that we've worked with Lysandre, this is the happiest we've seen him. Imagine being alone in this ridiculously large house for eleven years."

The brunette swallowed her guilt down. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. She had to remember that. It's not about what she wanted but it was about the people of Kalos and their safety.

She just had to keep the charade up for as long as she can.

Lindsay nudged Michael as a silent way of telling him to change the subject. He took the hint and flashed Serena the biggest smile he could muster, "Let's not dwell on that, bad things happen to good people. We can't help it. How about we look at Lysandre's baby photos. There are a couple of photos of him in dresses."

* * *

Lysandre watched as Xerosic paced around his office, a worried look plastered on the scientist's face. He had just come in but was dragged along by Xerosic as soon as he arrived.

"It's bizarre, sir," Xerosic began, "Yveltal's movements are getting stronger and unpredictable. The energy that it is radiating is different from the last time it came upon us. The earthquake that happened three weeks ago was caused by Yveltal itself."

Lysandre still didn't understand what Xerosic was talking about, "What are you saying?"

"Yveltal, it seems desperate. Simple life forces won't fuel it anymore. It needs something stronger. It's searching, sir. We must either subdue this Pokemon or terminate it."

"Terminate it? May I remind you just how strong this Pokemon is. We cannot terminate it nor subdue it. Why do you think we settled for Xerneas?" Lysandre stood up and poured scotch into his glass. He offered it to Xerosic but the scientist refused, "Will it return anytime soon?"

Xerosic paused before giving his boss a grim look, "Yes."

The red-haired man turned away from the scientist, "When?"

"In a couple of years time. I estima- "

Lysandre slammed his glass down on the desk, "Specifics, man! I need specifics!"

"T-Three maybe four years, sir," Xerosic said his voice cracking.

"Just Kalos?"

Xerosic shook his head, "I'm afraid not, sir. The whole world will be affected. Nowhere is safe."

Lysandre tried to mask the panic that rose within him. Once Yveltal rises, it will bring certain destruction upon the land. He was terrified, not of death but of the thought of losing the one person he cared for. He needed to do something. He was not, however, going to terminate Yveltal. The only other option is to subdue it, "How do approach this, Xerosic?"

The said man felt a sly smile creep into his face, "Well. . ."

* * *

Night had finally descended upon Kalos and Lysandre had not been back yet. Michael and Lindsay had been called down to the base for some work and had to leave Serena all alone. The brunette yawned, she was extremely bored, there were no good shows on the television and the movies that the two grunts had left her were interesting enough but she wasn't in the mood. She didn't like being alone with her thoughts. There are times where they become intrusive and she wasn't up for that battle tonight. She decided to explore the house, maybe try to find ways of escaping for when the time comes. Serena entered a couple of rooms and each time tapped on the windows just to make sure. All of them had been made of the strong material that she first encountered. She sighed as she walked down the hallway. Could she really just escape by air?

She entered another room that was located farther away than the rest. It was different. Just like Lysandre's old room. It wasn't painted red and most of the decor was white. There were photos on top of the dresser that showed a lovely couple holding hands on the beach. They looked to be in their mid-forties. She hardly recognised the man in the photo and realised that it was Lysandre's father. He looked different from the shot in the papers than in the photo in front of her. He looked happier, his smile bright. Serena spotted a chest at the corner of the room near the bed and out of curiosity, decided to open it. She lifted the latch and was immediately greeted by a ton of dust. She coughed and waved the irritable particles away before reaching in.

Inside, the chest contained papers mostly. She read through some and found that they were about stocks from a company she didn't recognise. She laid it down on the floor beside her and dug around again. She found an old worn out journal that peaked her curiosity even more. Before she even opened it a small piece of paper slipped and fluttered down on her knees. It was small and parts of it were covered in. . . blood? It was the only explanation she had. The writing on the paper was legible enough to read but the writer seemed to be writing it quickly. There were five simple words written on it,

_I love you. I'm sorry._

This must be the suicide note of Lysandre's father. Serena sighed and silently whispered an apology to the deceased man for deceiving his son.

"I have no choice, sir," She said quietly.

She slipped the note back in between the pages of the journal and placed it on top of the stack of papers beside her. She turned back to the nearly empty chest in front of her and stuck her hands in again. She felt around for anything else when her hand touched something small and hard. The brunette grabbed it and her heart dropped.

Serena fell back onto the floor, "A. . . gun?"

She moved to grab it from the chest when the sounds of helicopters came booming nearby. Adrenaline shot through her veins, she grabbed the stack of papers and practically threw them into the chest along with the journal. The brunette ran out of the room and sprinted down the hallway. She stopped right in front of the doors, fixed her hair and steeled herself for the act she was about to play. The beeping of buttons brought her out of her thoughts and the click of the door opening sped her heart up ten fold.

The sight of his flaming red hair filled her eyes. She smiled at him as he entered. The doors opened wide and she could see that he wasn't alone. A burly man followed him and a grunt as well.

"Good evening, Serena. I have returned," Lysandre leaned down to kiss the top of her head but stopped himself when he remembered that he was not alone. He pulled back but noticed the way she closed her eyes as if she was waiting, "I hope you had a great time with Michael and Lindsay. I do apologise for having called them down. I needed them to take care of some things."

Serena shook her head, "Oh it's no trouble at all. I see you've brought some company."

Lysandre looked back at Xerosic and the grunt waiting patiently, "Indeed. I hope you don't mind. I normally like to keep my work and personal life separate but I'm afraid I must compromise for now. An issue has risen and I must take care of it. For now I leave you with, James."

"James?" Serena asked, "Who's James?"

"Come here," He gestured for the grunt to come forward, "Serena this is James, he will be your company for tonight and he will be staying here indefinitely. Well just until Michael and Lindsay get back."

Serena patted the grunt on the back, "It's nice to have you on board, James. Welcome to your boss' house." She felt saddened by the news of Michael and Lindsay's absence. She had grown fond of the two lately.

The grunt seemed startled but didn't say anything. It looked like he was trying to hold back.

"Not much of a talker are you?"

James shook his head.

"All right well, let's leave your boss to his business," She started to lead the grunt down the hallway when Lysandre called out to the new recruit.

"James, I expect Serena to be treated with utmost respect. No harm should come to her. Do you understand?"

The grunt merely gave a salute.

Lysandre nodded, "Good. I wouldn't want to hunt you down," His tone had become menacing. He watched as the grunt tried his best not to show how rattled he was. He turned to Serena, his tone now light and caring, "I will see you later."

Serena led James down the hallway, "Come on, James. Let's raid Michael and Lindsay's room."

Lysandre felt something start clawing its way to the surface. It was an emotion he had never encountered before. He forced it back down.

'_Focus, Lysandre. Such things are not your priority right now.' _He thought to himself.

"To my study, Xerosic."

Serena had brought James to Michael and Lindsay's room. They were silent as they searched for something interesting. It was very awkward. Once or twice the two would compare their findings but they would only last for a few short seconds before the grunt would become silent again. She had a nagging feeling that she had seen him somewhere before but she couldn't put her finger on it. His voice was weird too, Serena observed. It seemed controlled. She didn't say anything about it though, it would be quite rude on her part. She decided to break the silence with small talk.

"So, James, do you have a nickname or do they really just call you James?" She asked.

The grunt was silent for a while but he answered her question, "Jimmy. You can call me Jimmy."

"All right then, _Jimmy, _why'd you join Team Flare?"

"Don't know," Was all he said.

Serena sighed, "You really don't like talking do you?" She waited for him to say something but he didn't so she continued, "You know, Lysandre was awfully formal earlier."

Jimmy cocked an eyebrow but continued searching.

"He's usually a lot more. . . well laid back I suppose," She lifted up a pair of handcuffs from one of the drawers and chuckled before putting them back.

"Doesn't seem like it," Jimmy muttered.

Serena smiled, "He is the boss after all. He's probably keeping up appearances is all."

"Hn."

The brunette sighed. There was nothing in Michael and Lindsay's room that she found entertaining. An idea popped in her head and she stood up, "Jimmy, let's have a battle."

Jimmy gave her a questioning look, "Where?"

"Lysandre has this incredibly large room where there's lots of space to have a battle. Come on, please?" Serena pressed her hands together and put on a pleading expression.

"No."

"What? Why not?" Serena asked, her arms crossed now.

Jimmy looked away, "Because. . . I can't. Sorry."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pleeaasseee?"

"No."

"But I'm bored."

"Not my problem."

Serena gave up. There was no getting through this man. She slumped forward and trudged out of the room. Jimmy followed closely, watching her from behind his sunglasses. They wandered around silently. At times it looked like the grunt wanted to say something but he would just keep quiet and follow her. It bothered her to some degree. She didn't say anything though, she thought it rude to make him tell her what he was thinking. Maybe he was just really shy. After a long while of aimless wandering, Serena officially stopped and groaned in exasperation.

"All right, I'm out of ideas. What do you want to do, Jimmy?" She asked the grunt.

Jimmy shrugged, silently saying he didn't know.

"Well then. I guess we're just going to have to sit here and wait huh?" Serena said as she sat on the floor in a hallway.

The grunt sat down beside her. He felt guilty but he just really couldn't battle her. What if something goes wrong? Lysandre is going to kill him slowly. They sat there in silence both not knowing what to say to each other. It had seemed like ages since any of them spoke and Jimmy was feeling really uneasy. He felt like he needed to say something, anything.

"They're looking for you, you know. You're big in the news. What with Professor Sycamore and the former Champion looking for you," He said, his eyes focused on the ground.

Serena snapped her head to face him, "Really? Professor Sycamore's looking for me?"

Jimmy nodded thoughtfully, "Yes. He cares about you a lot."

"What? How would you know about that?" She asked.

"Well. . ." Jimmy mentally slapped himself, "I, uh, used to work for him. We would see him drinking in his office constantly. I felt for him. The person he cared for was ripped out of his grasp. Nobody even knows where you are. As far as they know, you might be dead already."

Serena processed the new information in her mind. Did the professor really care about her that much? Suddenly, she was reminded of the exchange she and Lysandre had days ago. His words resonated in her head. She threw the thought away. He couldn't possibly care about her, he was probably just lying to her. Boy, the luck she has. But Lysandre. . . had been kind to her and always treated her well. Could he really. . .? No. Serena cursed herself, she was slipping again. She wasn't even at all the different from any other girl. In fact, she was rather boring to be with.

Jimmy observed the brunette. Her expressions changed rapidly. It was like she was having an inner monologue. He remembered spotting a deck of cards in the room before Serena decided to leave so he stood up and offered her his hand. He smiled at her, deciding to let loose even just this once. She was startled for a moment and looked up at him.

"Come on, Serena, I saw some cards back in the room. Let's play strip poker or something. Maybe strip blackjack too."

Serena laughed as she took his hand as she stood up, "Fine. I hope you're wearing a fuck load of clothes because I will kick your ass."

Jimmy scoffed, "I'd like to see you try."

* * *

"Hit me," Serena said. There was a sly tone in her voice.

Jimmy cocked an eyebrow, "Are you sure?"

"Hit me," Serena repeated.

"All right then," Jimmy reached for a card on the deck and slid it towards Serena.

Serena grabbed it from the floor and looked at it, wishing silently that it would be just enough for her to win again.

"So?" Jimmy asked nervously. She had managed to get him to strip off his belt, shoes, socks, tie and blazer. The only thing left was his sunglasses, which he refused to remove, pants and shirt. Serena on the other hand, had only lost her hat.

She flashed him her cards with a big grin on her face, "20! Top that, Jim Jam!"

Jimmy's eyes widened behind the frames of his red glasses. He only had 11. He didn't think she'd be extremely lucky but she had. He immediately regret his decision of having ever offered to play strip blackjack. Why couldn't he have just suggested watching TV or something. He noted the nickname she gave him but said nothing of it. Although it did make him feel a bit elated.

Serena saw the hesitation in his face, "Why don't you just take off your glasses? You don't even need them indoors."

"No - I uh, I can't. I need them. The shirt's going," He replied. The glasses were the last thing he'd want to take off considering his delicate condition.

"All right, take it off then, Jim Jam," Serena said, a smug grin on plastered on her face.

Jimmy sighed as he began unbuttoning his shirt. Serena could see just a bit as the shirt parted, she felt herself blush. He almost finished unbuttoning when the door creaked open to reveal a shocked red headed man staring at the two by the doorway. The new grunt quickly buttoned up and gathered his clothing.

Serena was startled. She knew he would take this the wrong way and judging by his expression, she was right, "Lysandre, I know it may seem like we were up to something but-"

"But what?!" Lysandre boomed as he advanced through the doorway, "I leave you two for a moment and this is how I find you?"

Anger filled Serena, "Jimmy and I were just playing cards, more specifically strip blackjack, which I'm winning if you haven't noticed!"

"Oh so you two are so close now that you're comfortable enough to take your clothes off in front of each other? What do you have to say for yourself, grunt?" There was venom laced in Lysandre's voice.

Jimmy was silent. His eyes were locked on the floor. He fidgeted in place and Serena couldn't help but feel guilty.

Lysandre felt the anger inside him bubble up even more. He advanced towards the grunt and held him by the collar, "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

The new recruit froze. He swallowed hard. Serena ran to help him, she pulled Lysandre away with the strength that she could muster, "Stop it! What the fuck is wrong with you? We are not in a relationship, Lysandre! Hell, we are _never _going to have one. So stop with all this bullshit and leave Jimmy out of it!"

Lysandre watched with pained eyes as Serena stormed out of the room. His chest ached, his breathing fell short and a cold sweat ran down his spine. It hurt him all over with the words she had said. It was undoubtedly true, they weren't in a relationship. Their relationship is. . . well what is their relationship? Are they even remotely close to being friends? Where did they stand? He sure as fuck didn't know. He didn't notice the grunt behind him throwing his clothes back on. Jimmy stood there, his heart beating a mile a minute. He stayed there for the longest time just watching his boss. Lysandre snapped his head towards Jimmy, glaring at him. The grunt prepared for the worst. He took a deep breath, clenched his fist and closed his eyes from behind the sunglasses. He anticipated a punch or hit of some kind but none came. Instead he heard his boss sigh deeply before leaving him alone in the room, the cards still strewn across the floor.

'_Did I overreact? I did didn't I?' _Lysandre thought. He made his way to his room knowing that she would be there. He stopped right at the door, balled his fist and knocked gently. There was no response. _  
_

"Serena, I need to talk to you," He called out hopefully. '_Please answer me,'_ Lysandre thought pleadingly.

There was no answer once again. Lysandre stayed by the door. He was _not_ going to give up just yet, "Serena, please, I'm sorry. I just. . . Can we talk about this? I'm sorry I overreacted. I don't know what came over me."

Nothing.

"Serena, I will keep standing here until you open this door and talk to me."

Still no answer.

"Fine. I'll just be here then," He crossed his arms and leaned just right of the doorway. He felt determined to fix this mess. He truly didn't know what came over him. This feeling. . . it was new to him and he didn't like it one bit. Only thing he could do now was stand there until she decides to talk to him.

And right now, it doesn't seem like that would happen.


End file.
